Mistake of Your Life
by Craftygirl
Summary: Tired of her constant presence, Sasuke tells Sakura off one day. At first, Sakura can't get over it...until a certain someone gets through to her and Sasuke soon finds himself jealous. Can he still win her back or is she over him? FINISHED!
1. Leave Me Alone

**Author's Note: **This is my second attempt at a Naruto fanfic (first one has yet to be published—yeah, I know I'm not going in order!). Hope you like it! I've tried my best to keep everyone IC! And FYI, this takes place during the one-month break after the Chunin Exam preliminaries. However, Rock Lee is not hospitalized for what Gaara did to him and Jiraiya has not yet (and will not) been introduced. Anyway, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of its characters and story arcs. I only use what I know from the anime and manga created by Masashi Kishimoto. All credit goes to him!

**Summary: **Tired of her constant presence, Sasuke tells Sakura to leave him alone. At first, Sakura can't shrug it off and takes it to heart, yet someone eventually gets through to her, and Sasuke soon finds himself jealous. Can he still win her back or is she completetly over him? Some LeeSaku, but mosly SasuSaku.

Chapter One

_I wonder where Sasuke is… It's not like him to arrive late… _Sakura tightened her grip on the arced wooden bridge overseeing the small stream. _Kakashi-sensei told us to wait here for word of our next mission fifteen minutes ago…_

"You know," Naruto suddenly piped up, his fingers laced casually behind his neck, "If he's gonna make us wait any longer, I'm gonna leave and order up some ramen at the Ichiraku! I'm _starving_!"

"Just be patient, Naruto," Sakura told him monotonously, not even bothering to face him, "Knowing Kakashi-sensei, he's probably going to take at least an hour longer."

Naruto scowled. "Well, if he's gonna take that long, I'll definitely have enough time to finish a few bowls and still make it back here before he comes. Believe it!" He turned back to the village, "Ya coming, Sakura?"

She just shook her head, "No thanks. You go on ahead."

Naruto hesitated. "Okay…if you say so…" And then he took off to the village.

Sakura sighed. _Ever since that Orochimaru guy_ _left Sasuke with that curse seal, I can't stop worrying about Sasuke…Since that day, he hasn't been himself lately. And besides, he's never late; the only reason I can think of to explain his absence is that he's gotten hurt, or…_ She abruptly pulled away from the pole she was holding on to.

"No…that can't happen," Sakura told herself sternly as she shook her head. "I-I won't let that happen." She turned toward the path back toward the village. "I've got to find Sasuke before…before someone else does!"

* * *

The first place Sakura thought to look was his apartment. Racing down the path, she nearly bumped into several people along the way. 

"Hey! Watch it!"

"Be careful!"

"Slow down!"

Despite all the people's warnings of caution, Sakura just ignored them. All she could think about was Sasuke right now. As she blindly raced up the stairs, she ran down the hall until she came face-to-face with his door. To her relief, the door and window were still in tact—so at least no one broke in. But there were still other methods, and she just had to make sure…

Slowly, Sakura reached for the doorknob. _(Gulp) Here goes…_She turned the knob and…

Nothing.

Sakura withdrew her hand back. "Heh-heh. There's nothing odd about that," she muttered, mocking herself for overreacting. "Of course Sasuke would lock his door. I know _I_ would… _But_…" Sakura narrowed her eyes, "There's no harm in making sure…"

She raised a clenched fist and knocked on the door softly, waiting for a reply…

Still nothing.

This, of course, worried Sakura, and she soon began pounding on the door. "Sasuke? Sasuke, are you there?" she called out through the door, "It's me, Sakura! Hello? Are you in there? Please! Answer me! Open the door! Sasuke!" By now, she was practically screaming his name. "SASUKE! SASUKE!"

"What are you doing?"

Sakura—despite her loud screams—could recognize that voice anywhere. She turned around, and saw…Sasuke, staring at her with a raised eyebrow like she was some sort of idiot. Sakura suddenly felt a little embarrassed, but she was more relieved to see him unharmed.

"Sasuke!" she cried happily, "I'm so glad to see you! I thought—"

Sasuke cut her off, "You still haven't answered me yet: just what were you doing screaming at my door?"

Sakura didn't know where to begin, "Well…when you didn't show up at the bridge today, I thought that—"

"What? Is the mission over already?" Sasuke interrupted, his voice stoic.

"Well, no…"

"Then what are you doing here?"

Sakura could sense it; Sasuke was annoyed with her presence and didn't want her around… as usual. Sakura took in a deep breath. "Listen, Sasuke," she began quietly, "It's not like you to be late. And…well, I just thought that something bad might have happened, so I went to check on you…"

Sasuke scoffed at her concern. "You don't have to check on me," he said bluntly, "I can take care of myself. Besides, I was just getting some extra training in the woods. Quit overreacting."

Sakura hated how Sasuke thought no one should care for him; she made it her life not so much as to be his fangirl anymore, but to always look after him and stand by his side instead. "Overreacting?" she repeated in disbelief, tears forming in her eyes, "How can you call caring _overreacting_? Am I committing a crime because I care about you? Sasuke, I can't bear to watch you suffer! Ever since what happened in the Forest of Death with Orochimaru—"

"Sakura, we've already talked about this," Sasuke said in a low voice, "Enough said. What I do is my business—not yours, not anyone's. You should just go back to the bridge and leave me alone." He stepped past her and unlocked the front door.

Sakura couldn't believe how Sasuke was dismissing her feelings again. Dejected, she could only ask him softly, "But…aren't you coming to the bridge, too?"

Sasuke replied with a cold, hard glare. "_I said_, leave me alone."

Sakura could only watch in stunned silence as the door closed in her face, creating a barrier that will forever keep her from reaching Sasuke. _Why? Why doesn't he tell me anything?_ A fresh tear hit the pavement below her. _No matter how hard I try to get through to him, he always pushes me away…like I'm some nuisance. Maybe he really does hate me…_

**A/N: **So, what'd you think of it so far? Sorry for the short chapter. I'll try to make the next one longer! Please R&R!


	2. Intangible Whispers

**A/N: **Thank you for all those who sent in their reviews. Hearing from you makes me very happy! Here's the next chapter. Sorry I couldn't post it last week. (My stupid floppy disk messed up this one chunk and I had to rewrite it.) Well, I hope you guys like this one as much as the last, and as always, please read and review!

* * *

Chapter Two: Intangible Whispers

Sasuke sighed as he leaned his back against the closed door. _What a pest. Why does she have to keep tagging around and concerning herself with what I do? It's none of her business! ...Argh! She's so annoying!_

He watched the second hand of the clock tick away the seconds. _…What am I doing? Bailing on a mission? What's gotten into me? _He clenched a fist, gritting his teeth. _Ever since Naruto showed me up by defeating those Rain ninjas in the Forest, I feel like I'm not getting anywhere…_

Sasuke then looked to the ground. _…Still…maybe I shouldn't have…dismissed Sakura so coldly…but am _I_ in the wrong? I don't need someone to watch over me! I can do that myself! _Yet no matter how hard Sasuke tried to argue with himself, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of remorse. Sighing again, he slowly parted the blue curtains of his front window. To his surprise, Sakura had just started walking away.

Trying to catch her before she left, Sasuke quickly opened the door and stepped out onto the pavement. However, Sakura—as if sensing his presence—suddenly quickened her pace to a run. And though Sasuke was sure he could have caught up to her, he decided not to. Instead, he just watched her go.

* * *

_Back at the bridge…_

A puff of pink smoke suddenly poofed into view, revealing a very late Kakashi (as always). He smiled brightly. "Hi, guys! Sorry I'm late, but I got lost on the path of…" Finally opening his eyes, he noticed that no one was there and that he was talking to himself. "…Life?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "That's odd," he muttered in confusion, "Normally, _I'm_ the one who's late…" He shrugged, and then extracted Make-Out Paradise from his pocket. "Oh well."

_As for Naruto…_

Patting his full stomach in content, Naruto said, "Man, I ate too much! But that was great!"

Ayame (A/N: the owner of the Ichiraku's daughter, in case you didn't know) "No problem," she said, smiling. "You're welcome here anytime."

On the other hand, Teuchi (A/N: the owner) gave Naruto a serious look. "But aren't you supposed to go on a new mission right now? You shouldn't have overstuffed yourself."

Naruto's eyes dilated. "Did you say '_mission_'?!" he repeated incredulously.

"Uh-huh," the Teuchi said dully, unaware of the current situation. "_And_?"

Naruto spun around and looked out at the sky. The sun was now high overhead. He jumped up from his seat, knocking down his stool in the process. "Oh man, oh man, oh man!" he exclaimed frantically, "I'm so late! Master Kakashi's gonna kill me!"

He then scurried away from the ramen bar, kicking up clouds of dust in his wake. "Bye! Thanks for the meal!"

"Hey! Wait!" Teuchi shouted, "You didn't pay for that! Arh! NARUTO!" But it was too late; he was already out of sight.

* * *

"Kakashi-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!" called a very energetic Naruto from the distance. "I'm here! I'm here!"

"Hmm?" Kakashi finally tore his gaze away from his novel to see Naruto running toward the bridge, his arms flailing.

Naruto screeched to a stop once he reached the bridge. Panting, he looked up at Kakashi. "I'm not late, am I? I tried my best to get here on time! Really, I did!"

"Uh-huh," Kakashi replied dubiously, "Right."

Naruto laughed nervously, but then came to realize that he and Kakashi were the only ones at the bridge. He glanced around. "Hey, where're Sakura and Sasuke? I know for sure Sakura was here earlier."

"I don't know what it is with you three today," Kakashi replied, shaking his head, "You guys are always punctual. Is it because you don't care about missions anymore? Do you want to miss out on any extra training before the final matches of the Chunin Exam next month?"

"No! No way!" Naruto protested indignantly, "I'm gonna train so hard for it that I'll beat Neji _and_ that loser Sasuke! They won't stand a chance against me because _you're_ gonna train me, Master Kakashi!"

"Uh, no," Kakashi said flatly, "I don't think so."

"Awe! C'mon! Why not?" Naruto whined. "I bet you'd train Sasuke!"

"That's not the point."

Naruto pointed an accusing finger at him. "But you would, wouldn't you? Admit it, Kakashi-sensei! You're playing favorites!"

Kakashi sighed. "Naruto, I don't have time for this," he replied, and then continued reading Make-Out Paradise.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Naruto demanded loudly, infuriated that he was being ignored. "Hello! I'm right here and I'm waiting for my one-on-one training!" He waved a hand in front of Kakashi's face. "Hello!"

Yet before he could continue his harangue, he suddenly caught sight of Sakura, who was slowly approaching the bridge. His eyes instantly lit up. "Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed cheerfully. "Sakura, you're finally here!"

Kakashi glanced up from his novel again. "Good afternoon, Sakura. And what makes _you_ so late?"

"Huh?" Sakura suddenly asked softly, as if snapping awake from a dream.

"Yeah, Sakura," Naruto added, lacing his fingers behind his head again. "Where'd you go?"

"Oh, I just, uh…went on a little walk, that's all…" Sakura lied, forcing a smile to hide her sorrow.

Naruto cocked his head to one side. "Then why are your eyes so red?"

"They are?" Sakura asked, suddenly aware that she'd been crying. "Well, it's nothing really…" She wiped a tear from her eye. "…Just a cold…"

_That's interesting… _Naruto thought skeptically. _She seemed fine earlier…_ Yet in the end, he just shrugged and said, "Okay, makes sense to me."

_Typical Naruto…always so gullible and quick to believe anything you throw at him, _Sakura thought. Usually, thoughts like that would have made her smile, but this time, it didn't cheer her up at all.

"So, where's Sasuke?" Kakashi finally asked.

Sakura shook her head. "I…don't know," she replied quietly. _Another lie._

Naruto scowled. "Who does that jerk think he is? Is he 'too good for us' that he can't even participate in one simple mission?!"

Sakura would have punched him in the face if it was any other day, but today, she didn't feel up to it. Instead, she just kept silent.

As a witness to this "unprecedented turn of events," Kakashi knew something was wrong, "Hmm… Well in that case, maybe we should forget about the mission today."

Sakura looked up at her sensei with surprise, while Naruto was downright incredulous. "You mean I hurried back here after eating my ramen _for nothing_?!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "So _that's_ what you were doing?"

Naruto froze, suddenly realizing his mistake. "Uh, did I say something about ramen?" he began nervously, trying in vain to cover his slip. "I-I meant training! Yeah, that's right! _Training_! I was _training_, Kakashi-sensei! Believe it! Now can we hurry up and start our mission?!"

Kakashi shook his head. "I'm afraid it's not that simple," he explained, "What I had planned for today's mission required a three-man cell. And seeing as to how Sasuke isn't here, I think it's best if we cancelled the mission." He glanced toward Sakura. "And besides, Sakura's sick."

She flinched. Something about the way Kakashi said that last part so simply made her suspect that he knew she was lying. But then why would he still cancel the mission? Was it really that important for everyone to be present? …Oh well, she didn't feel like going on a mission right now, anyway.

Naruto glanced at Sakura, too, as if he'd momentarily forgotten about her presence. "Well…if it's for _Sakura's_ benefit…" Naruto decided reluctantly.

"Good," Kakashi said. "Then it's settled. I knew you'd understand." And with those terse words, he suddenly disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

As soon as he left, Naruto threw a fit. "Argh! It's all Sasuke's fault! You know, I don't see why we all have to suffer because of him! It's not fair! Why is it always about Sasuke?! Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke! …"

Pretty soon, Naruto's rant faded into mere echoes: _Sasuke…Sasuke…Sasuke…_ that kept repeating like departing whispers in Sakura's mind—whispers that no matter how hard she tried to reach, they always seemed further and further away.


	3. I am Always Here for You

**A/N: **Guess who appears in this chapter? Yep, it's Konoha's "handsome" blue beast, Rock Lee!

Chapter Three: I am Always Here for You 

As Sakura walked home, she couldn't think straight. All she thought about was Sasuke, but every time she thought about him, it was too painful. Over and over again, his words were repeated in her mind…

"_You don't have to check on me. I can take care of myself… Quit overreacting."_

"_What I do is my business—not yours, not anyone's."_

And then…that cold, hard glare…

"_Leave me alone."_

Sakura blinked back the tears in her eyes. _Sasuke…don't do this to me… Don't push me out… Please, just let me help you…_

Suddenly, she came across an all-too-familiar campus bench. Sakura stopped in mid-walk, staring at the bench that brought back so many memories.

_This…this is where we had our first real conversation… Sasuke and I… If only I could remember more than his calling me annoying._ She glanced down at the cobblestone path. _But…maybe…he was right all along. I _am_ annoying…so annoying that just being in my presence irritates him._

_What good am I?_

As Sakura seated herself down on the bench, a loud voice abruptly rang out, "Sakura! Sakuraaaaaa!"

Sakura tore away from her thoughts and forced herself to look up. Who she saw next left her baffled. "…Lee?" She hadn't expected to see him again so soon after the preliminaries of the Chunin Exams.

When Lee finally reached her, he instantly noticed the tears that'd just formed in her eyes, and the smile disappeared from his face. "Sakura…are you okay?" he asked, his face full of concern that it almost hurt to look at it.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Lee," Sakura reassured him, drying her tears once again as Lee took a seat next to her. "It's just a cold; nothing to worry about, really."

Unfortunately, that lie didn't work on Lee like it did Naruto.

Lee studied her for a minute, and then shook his head. "No, tell me, Sakura," he insisted, "What is _really_ bothering you?"

Sakura drew in a deep, shaky breath. "I really don't want to talk about it," she replied quietly. "It's a long story, and I'd prefer not to get into the details."

Lee hesitated. "It is…about Sasuke, is it not?"

Sakura glanced at him, a look of surprise passing over her. _How could Lee know?_ _How could he possibly understand how I feel about Sasuke? _"…Yes…" Sakura said at last, looking down at the ground again. "It is…"

Rock Lee scowled for a moment, but then flashed his nice-guy pose, complete with a thumbs-up, shining smile, and wink. "Do not worry, Sakura! You can tell me anything, and I will gladly listen!"

Sakura tried to smile at his odd mannerism, but instead managed a small smile at his offer. Yet before she jumped into her story, she paused. "You don't mind me raving about Sasuke, do you?" she asked, keenly aware of Lee's huge crush on her.

Lee remained unfazed, "Anything for you, Sakura."

Sakura took in another deep breath. "Okay, here it is: Kakashi-sensei gave us a new mission today and when Sasuke didn't show up after fifteen minutes, I got really worried… A lot's been going on lately, and besides, Sasuke's never late," she explained, deliberately leaving out the part about Orochimaru and the curse seal. "So anyway, I went to look for him afterward. I just got so worried that I started pounding on his apartment door…only to see that he was right behind me…

"I asked him why he didn't show up at the bridge today—which was where Kakashi-sensei told us to meet him—and even explained to him why I checked up on him, but…" Sakura's voice cracked, and she could feel the tears forming in her eyes again, "…He dismissed my feelings, claimed that I was overreacting, and then…he told me to leave him alone…" She turned away from Lee so he wouldn't see her cry. Though it had hurt to explain the story, it had also surprisingly felt good to finally tell someone about it.

Rock Lee scowled in sympathy. Honestly, he didn't really know what to do at the moment; he just knew he had to be a good friend for Sakura right now. Though it's true he could never understand how Sakura felt about Sasuke, he tried his best to be consoling, "I am…really sorry, Sakura," he muttered, "…But I want you to know that I am always here for you."

Sakura took a moment to collect herself. "Thank you, Lee," she replied sincerely, smiling a little, "I really appreciate it. I'm sorry to put you through all this, though. I know that…listening to me drone on and on about Sasuke isn't really your thing." She then stood up to leave.

Lee blushed as he stood up as well. _Sakura actually thanked me! I am so happy!_ "No, but I do not mind," he stated, "You know, I hate to see you upset, Sakura—it tortures me inside. I just hope that you feel better now."

"Actually, I _do_ feel a little better now," Sakura answered with a slight nod, "…Thanks to you." With that, she began to continue her walk home again.

This made Lee blush even more. _That's it! I think Sakura's finally falling in love with me! Now's my chance to ask her out! _"Hey, Sakura!" he blurted all of a sudden.

She turned around to face him. "What is it, Lee?"

"I was thinking…maybe we should hang out sometime! You know, just the two of us!" he called, waving his arm in the air while cupping the other hand over his mouth.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You mean, like on a _date_?"

"YES!" By now, Rock Lee was practically grinning so wide that you'd have been able to fit a kunai across his mouth.

Sakura winced. _I should have known… Oh, great. How am I supposed to say no without hurting his feelings? _At that moment, Sakura rehearsed possible answers in her mind…

_Heck no! Not in a million years! Look, you may be a good friend, Lee, but how many times do I have to reject you before you get the point that I DO NOT WANT TO GO OUT WITH YOU?!_

And _that_ won't hurt his feelings? Maybe a milder approach, and by that I mean, _much_ milder…

_Um…no._

Nah, that's too blunt. He'll probably ask for an explanation.

_No thanks. You're a great guy, Lee, but I just don't see you that way._

True, but is that what you tell someone who's just taken some time to really listen to you? Besides, that excuse is way too overused.

In the end, Sakura settled with, "Okay. Sure. Why not?"

**A/N: **Ha! I bet you weren't expecting _that_ answer! Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I just had to end it there! Oh, and in case you're wondering: _Why would Sakura say yes to Lee? She doesn't even like him!_ I'll answer that question and give you guys all an explanation in the next chapter. Don't worry; it will all become clear very soon! And please R&R!


	4. She said WHAT?

**A/N:** Sorry I haven't posted for so long! I had Spanish finals and had no time to go online. I'm just so glad that school's finally over (who isn't?) and maybe I can now write more often! Anyway, here's the fourth chapter!

Chapter Four: She said WHAT?!

Yes, it was true. She, Sakura Haruno, had said yes to go on a date with none other than Rock Lee. Who'd have guessed? Even Lee himself couldn't believe it, but he was still absolutely thrilled when she told him. He was jumping up and down, doing cartwheels, running around in circles… Okay, let's put it this way: at that moment, he was practically the happiest shinobi on the planet.

On the other hand, Sakura had no idea what she'd just said. As she silently watched Lee do all his crazy stunts, she was screaming on the inside.

_HELP! GET ME OUTTA HERE! WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO ME TODAY?! WHY, OH WHY DID I SAY YES?! THAT'S THE LAST THING I WANTED TO SAY, BUT FOR SOME REASON, THAT'S THE ONE THING I __DID__ SAY! THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING! WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO?!_

Sakura took a moment to calm down. After taking in deep breaths, she thought for a moment. _Sakura, relax. This isn't the end of the world. C'mon. You're a kunoichi, for crying out loud. You've been in worse situations than this one. Pull yourself together…_

She drew in yet another deep breath. _Maybe…maybe I said yes because…I felt like showing him some gratitude for taking the time and effort to listen to me. _

Sakura glanced at Lee, all giddy and happy. She forced a weak smile, trying to see the best out of this. _Besides…look at him… How could I have said no after all he's done for me today? He's given me more than I could ask of just by listening to me. And thanks to him, I honestly do feel somewhat better, right? …Anyway, it's just a date. All I have to do is treat it like a casual hang-out, and I'll be fine… Nothing to it._

And then, Lee suddenly ran up to Sakura and nearly glomped her to death. "Oh, Sakura! You have made me so very happy! I promise that you will not regret it!"

As Sakura just stood there—too paralyzed to move and practically unable to breathe—she could only think of one thing: _Oh, I'm _already _regretting it, alright._

* * *

So it was settled. Sakura was going to meet Lee at a curry house (A/N: is that the right term?) tomorrow at noon, and she had no way of getting out of it.

_I could just bail and not show up,_ Sakura thought hopefully, but then reeled away from the thought. _No. Who am I kidding? I couldn't do that. That's way too cruel, especially after what Lee did for me…_

Groaning in irritation, she buried her face in her hands. "I can't believe I'm having this stupid guilt trip! Just because he did one thing for me, I have to put up with going on a _date_ with him?! This is so unfair! …Besides, I don't even like curry!" From where she sat on her balcony, Sakura felt like hollering at the world, even if no one would hear her…or even care to listen.

Thoughts of Sasuke instantly flooded into Sakura's mind again, and she hugged her knees, trying to find her place of comfort and security. _Even with Lee's support, I still can't get over Sasuke. It seems no amount of listening can get rid of what I'm feeling right now. Only Sasuke can take back those three words… Only Sasuke can truly make me feel happy again…_

"Hey, Sakura! Sakura, is it true? Is it true?" said a familiar, energetic voice. Sakura recognized the speaker immediately.

Naruto.

She tried her best to shake herself free from her previous thoughts. "Is _what_ true?" she called from the balcony, her melancholy tone unable to hide her mood.

However, Naruto didn't even seem to notice. "Is it true that _you and Lee are going out_?!" Naruto wanted to know.

Sakura froze. For a brief moment, she'd forgotten all about Lee, but now that Naruto had reminded her, Sakura felt like burying herself into a five-feet-deep hole. _I should have known Lee wouldn't keep his mouth shut… To him, this is all "too good to be true." Well to me…it's all too _awful_ to be true! What if Lee tells the whole village? My life will be ruined forever!_ Though she already knew the answer, Sakura asked, "And who told you that?" She tried to sound dubious, but instead, she sounded more miserable.

Naruto shrugged. "Lee did," he replied, "…But he didn't really tell me directly. It was more like he was singing it in the streets and I just overheard."

Okay, make that a _ten-feet-deep _hole _Oh my, gosh! _Sakura thought incredulously. _Are you kidding me?! He's made himself into a singing idiot broadcasting the news to the whole village! And what's he mean by "going out"?! We're not _going out_! One lousy date doesn't mean anything! The nerve of him! If I ever get through this date alive, I'll—_ Sakura cut herself off before she could say anymore, especially after a very stupefied Naruto just stared at her.

"What?" he asked her at last, anxiety present in his voice. "Is something wrong?"

Sakura finally realized that she must have been displaying her inner emotions through her facial expressions and body language. Trying to cover up her mistake, Sakura cleared her throat. "_No_…" she said firmly, "I'm just surprised that he would go _that far_ in getting the news out to everyone." At least that last part was true.

"Okay, I get it," Naruto said quickly, "But what I don't get is why you would go out with someone like _him_!" He now had a grimace on his face. "Why'd you pick Bushy Brow over someone like me?!"

_Look who's talking, _Sakura thought. _Naruto, you're no better than Lee. Both of you are utterly pitiful sometimes, but at least the two of you also know how to come through when it's important…_

"I didn't _pick _him," Sakura clarified, trying to clear things up with Naruto before he jumped into even more crazy conclusions. "_He_ picked _me_."

"But you've always rejected him before," Naruto argued, "Why'd you chose now of all times to actually agree to go out with him?"

Sakura didn't want to get into this conversation at all. "It's a long story, Naruto," she said irritably, "But let me put it this way: don't get the wrong idea. I _do not_ like Lee, okay?"

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, that's good!" he exclaimed, and then glanced up at Sakura hopefully. "Does this mean you still wanna go out with _me_?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "I never wanted to go out with you in the _first place_," she stated, "And no, I haven't changed my mind."

Naruto hung his head in despair. "Aw, man!" he whined, and then suddenly bolted upright again, full of energy. "But, hey! Let me know how the date turns out! If it's really awful, you can dump Lee and go out with me!"

"Don't count on it," Sakura muttered under her breath.

As Naruto scampered off, Sakura thought miserably, _First, Sasuke tells me off and now I've accepted to go on a date with Rock Lee. Some day this had turned out to be…_

**A/N: **Guess what the next chapter will be about? C'mon, think! …If you guessed the date with Lee and Sakura, you're right!


	5. It's All Because of Me

**A/N:** Wow, nine reviews for a single chapter? That's a personal record! Thank you guys, so much! I hope you all like this chapter as much as the last, and hopefully, we can beat the previous number of reviews!

Chapter Five: It's All Because of Me

When Sakura arrived at the curry house, she took no extra effort in her grooming routine—just the usual. She wore her everyday red outfit with her family crest, and kept her pink hair down like it always was, with her leaf village forehead protector tied in its same way.

However, just because she didn't go all out for the date doesn't mean Lee didn't! As soon as he came in, Sakura was surprised to see him in something other than his green jumpsuit. In its place was a new, crisp tuxedo with a matching black tie and black shoes. The only thing that stayed the same was his trademark bowl-cut hair and his bushy eyebrows.

_I can't believe he's wearing a tux on a casual diner date!_ Sakura thought in disbelief._ He acts like we're going to get married or something! This is awful! Someone—_anyone_—please just get me outta here right now! This is so embarrassing! _

Sakura suddenly noticed Lee blush, "Well, I am glad you like the clothes… If it were not for Guy-sensei's encouragement, I never would have even thought of wearing it."

Sakura shook her head hard. _Is it just me, or did he say "I am glad you like the clothes"? Where'd he get that idea?! I do not like them! At least, not on _him A new thought suddenly came to her. _…He must have seen me gaping at his surprising change of clothes, and somehow interpreted that it meant I actually liked what he was wearing! Well, no way! He's got it all wrong!_

Yet after all that, Sakura only wound up forcing an all-too-sarcastic laugh. "Heh-heh. Oh, I know how it is between you and your Jonin leader," she replied, hoping she didn't sound too fake. _Well…at least that wasn't a lie. I _do_ know—more than I'd like to, in fact—how Lee and his sensei get all touchy-feely… Ugh! But at least Lee was able have some of his own identity by wearing something different today…even if it is something I'd rather not see on him…_

As soon as Lee sat down next to her, Sakura felt like hopping on a plane to America, thousands of miles away from here (A/N: yeah, I know they'd use kilometers, but I'd prefer miles...). Though it took everything in her power, she managed to sit still, having only flinched a little.

But a little must have been a lot.

Lee turned to face Sakura, but avoided looking directly into her eyes. "You are not…happy with me, are you?" he asked her. His every word was drawn out slowly and painfully, as if it hurt just to get the words out of his throat.

Sakura couldn't believe what he was saying, and at that moment, she felt like taking all her words—all her thoughts—back. She scowled. "No, not at all, Lee!" Sakura protested quickly, "Of course I'm happy! W-why wouldn't I be?"

Lee remained unfazed. "Because you do not seem happy," he answered dejectedly. "Just now, when I sat down next to you, I knew what you were thinking…"

Sakura winced. "You do?" she asked guiltily.

Lee nodded. "…You wished that you were far away from here…thousands of miles away in America, am I right?"

Sakura was stunned into silence. _Oh my, gosh! He just read my mind! That's _exactly_ what I was thinking! How could he have known?! …Okay, I suppose he could have made a logical guess on the Sasuke thing yesterday, but how'd he know about the America part?! That's insane! _"Um, yeah," Sakura replied at last, still dumbstruck, "That's right."

She then suddenly snapped back into reality. Trying to hide how carelessly she answered him, Sakura quickly added, "I'm sorry, Lee. Really, I am, but I just can't hide the fact that you're not…" She instantly cut herself off, trying to avoid more hurt feelings.

"…That I am not Sasuke," Lee finished for her with a disheartened sigh. "Look, Sakura, I know I cannot and will never be Sasuke, but that is not what I am asking from you. I just do not want you to lie to me, Sakura. That is all. I told you before that you can tell me anything and I will gladly listen. Please, do not forget that." He then opened up a menu, noticeably shielding his face in the process.

Sakura didn't know what to say. Though he somehow managed to put up a credible polite and forgiving front, she could tell that he was hurting on the inside. She reached out to him. "Lee?" she began again, "I'm really, really sorry—"

"Please, Sakura," Lee interrupted, "Please do not say it. The best thing you could do now is order whatever you want. It shall be on me."

After all the pain she'd caused in the last minute, Sakura felt the need to speak out, "But, Lee—"

Lee tore away from his menu. Facing her, he stated seriously, "Sakura, I do not wish to make this day any more difficult on you. Date or not, I will make sure you get through the rest of today."

Sakura forced a nod, though she wanted to say so much more. "Yes, I understand."

"Good."

As Rock Lee returned to reading the menu, Sakura picked up hers as well. Though she tried to focus on picking a dish or two, her mind was elsewhere. _Even after I broke his heart and ruined the date he was so excited about, Lee still wants to see me happy…_

_"You know, I hate to see you upset, Sakura—it tortures me inside."_

_That's what he said just yesterday… And now here we are, silent and miserable. I can't believe what a bad friend I am. Lee's always been there for me—even when it was life and death back in the Chunin Exams—but what have I done? …Lie to him? What kind of friend am I? _

_It's all because I couldn't control myself and just had to so outwardly express my urge to get away from him. I could have just ignored it. This date would've been over in an hour, but now, it'll seem twice as long… And it's all because of me._

**A/N:** Sorry about the short chapter, but I thought this was a good stopping point. As always, please read and review!


	6. The Tables Turn

**A/N: **Sorry for the late update! Thanks again to all those who reviewed! We were three reviews short of chapter four's, but I'm still happy! Anyway, here's the next chapter!

Chapter Six: The Tables Turn

Half an hour later, the two Genin had already ordered their meals, and were now almost through with their respective dishes. Apart from making requests to the waiter, the booth they sat at was dead silent. As they both picked at their food with chopsticks, Sakura could feel her anger rising slowly. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She abruptly stood up and banged her fists on the table.

Startled, Lee glanced up at her. In fact, practically everyone in the restaurant was staring at her, but Sakura didn't mind. She had to clear things up with Lee.

"I've had enough of this, Lee!" Sakura stated firmly, her emerald-green eyes burning holes in Lee's. "I'm sick and tired of the silence! And I'm through with all this misery!" She instantly pushed Sasuke out of her mind before she went into another state of depression. "You said you'd make sure I get through the rest of the day, right?! Well, how can I possibly get through if we don't say a word to each other?! I can't stand it!"

Lee didn't know what to say. "Sakura…"

"Don't 'Sakura' me!" Sakura snapped, surprising herself for sounding so much colder than she had thought she could be. "This isn't like you, Lee! What happened to the optimistic person who was so madly in love with me just yesterday?! _What happened to the Lee I knew_?!"

Lee only looked to the ground, his head hanging in despair. "I…I am sorry, Sakura…" he muttered softly.

Sakura was about to say something else, but couldn't will herself to. She immediately softened up and sat back down. "No… _I'm_ the one who's sorry, Lee…" she apologized sincerely, "_I_ was the jerk. You did nothing wrong."

"Do not say that, Sakura," Lee insisted.

Sakura shook her head. "But it's true. In fact, it's _undeniably_ true." She drew in a breath. "But please…let's just finish this date. It doesn't have to be any harder than we make it. And that's all I ask of _you_, Lee." Ironically, she felt like she and Lee had just switched roles… "Can we please just forget all this happened and get through this?"

Tears welled up in Lee's eyes. _Sakura, you are truly amazing! I love you! I love you! I LOVE YOU! _He nodded, "Of course, Sakura! Anything for you!"

Hearing Lee return to his old self again brought a smile to Sakura's face. Though she had to admit she wasn't at all fond of Lee's over-the-top affection, Sakura was relieved that he was now energetic and full of life.

Pretty soon, the waiter returned with the bill. Automatically, Lee reached into his pocket and pulled out some yen, but Sakura stopped him. Before she could say anything, Lee cut her off, "Please, Sakura, allow me…"

"Let's be fair and _split_ the bill, Lee," Sakura offered.

Lee looked at her for a second with uncertainty, but then nodded at last. "Yeah," he agreed, grinning broadly, "Good idea."

And for the first time since yesterday, Sakura felt like she and Lee had finally made a connection.

* * *

After leaving the restaurant, Rock Lee offered to walk Sakura home.

Sakura hesitated for a moment, but then replied with a, "Okay, if it's all right with you…"

"Of course it is!" Lee declared fervently. "In fact, I would be most happy to!"

Sakura smiled meekly. _Okay, let's face it. I appreciate the offer and all, but I'm kind of getting tired of the whole agreeing-with-everything-I-say._ "Thanks…I guess," she replied tentatively.

When they reached Sakura's block, the young kunoichi turned to Lee, "Hey, um, thanks for everything… I guess I'll see you later then?"

Lee didn't say anything, and at that moment, Sakura grew a little worried. She scowled. _Was it something I said?_

Finally, Lee suddenly said, "Sakura, I want you to be completely honest with me…" His voice was more serious than ever, and Sakura had no idea what to expect.

"…What is it?" she asked apprehensively.

He looked her straight in the eyes, "Did you…have a good time today?"

That question took Sakura off guard, and she began to wonder the same thing: Did_ I have a good time? Well, not at first, I'll admit, but after we finally made amends, I guess everything went pretty well… Rock Lee's no Sasuke, but at least he cares about what I think and how I feel…something Sasuke hasn't even regarded after all this time… _Sakura began to feel the tears forming in her eyes again, but forced herself not to cry.

_No… I'm stronger than this,_ Sakura told herself firmly._ I won't let some guy keep me from living my life. I won't be hampered back by Sasuke. I have to move on and stop living in the past. What's done is done, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it…absolutely nothing I can do that'll change his mind…_

Before Sakura could continue to argue with herself, Lee interrupted her thoughts, "I will…take that as a no then," he said dejectedly, turning away from Sakura.

Suddenly realizing that she'd been so caught up in her own world, Sakura finally became aware of Lee's presence. "No! Don't get me wrong, Lee!" she replied vehemently, "Overall, I _did_ have a good time!"

Lee gave her a dubious look, but there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes, "Really?"

Sakura thought about it for a moment. "Actually…yes," she replied at last, surprising herself that she was actually telling the truth this time.

And of course, that was all Lee needed to believe. _Oh, Guy-sensei! Thank you for all your advice! It is all because of you! _Tears of joy streamed down his face, and he quickly wiped them away. "I am so happy to hear that, Sakura! We should go out more often!"

And apparently, Sakura didn't seem to mind. Instead, she smiled and replied with a strong, "Sure, I'd like that…"

* * *

Word traveled fast in Konoha, and pretty soon, almost everyone knew about the new couple. Apart from Naruto, Ino was the most surprised, especially when Sakura walked past her flower shop one day with a single red rose in her hands.

Without thinking, Ino kicked her feet up over the counter and dashed for the door. "Hey you! Sakura! Hold it!" she cried.

Sakura turned around to see her best friend and rival—make that _former_ rival—of Sasuke's affections. Ever since their battle in the preliminaries of the Chunin Exams, they have rekindled their friendship…well, sort of… At least Ino wasn't calling her Forehead Girl or even Billboard Brow anymore.

Sakura glanced at her blankly. "Yeah? What's up?"

Ino placed her hands on her hips. "Just where'd you get that rose from?!" she demanded indignantly, "I didn't see you buy it at my shop! Who gave it to you, huh?!" _No way can it be Sasuke! It just can't be! I won't believe it! How could _he_ choose someone like _her_ over _me

Sakura smiled secretively. "Well, it's not Sasuke, if that's what you think…" she answered.

"It's not?!" Ino could hardly believe it. In fact, she was absolutely too shocked to even jump for joy. _Did she just say it's _not_ Sasuke?! How's that possible?! The only guy Sakura likes is Sasuke! …Unless it's…_ "Then who's it from?! Don't tell me it's Naruto! I know _he_ has a huge crush on you! Just never thought you'd like him back—let alone accept a rose from him!"

Sakura's enigmatic demeanor instantly altered into disgust. "_Naruto?!_" she repeated incredulously, "Are you kidding me?! This rose is not from _Naruto_! I don't like Naruto and I never will! Ya got that?!"

Ino glared at her. "Okay, okay, I get it," she retorted irritably, "Geez. You don't have to shout, Sakura."

"Well, I just want to make myself loud and clear that I _do not_ like Naruto!" Sakura snapped back.

Ino scoffed, but then changed the subject, "Alright then. But if it's not Sasuke or Naruto, who is it?" She fixed Sakura with a look that said I-want-answers-and-I-want-'em-now. _So who is it, Sakura? I won't rest until I find out who this mystery boy is. Is it one of the guys at the preliminaries? Let's see… _

Ino began to make a mental list in her head._ …Besides Sasuke and Naruto, there's_ _Shikamaru and Chouji from my team… Kiba, Shino… then there's last year's top rookie, Neji Hyuga, and that weird-looking guy with the bowl-shaped hair whose name I can't remember… Um, and there's also those creepy Sound Ninja guys and the two even creepier guys from the Sand Village…_ Ino thought for a moment. _…That's the list of all the guys our age I know, and I don't think Sakura would like anyone but Sasuke… _

Sakura didn't say a word, which—of course—angered Ino to no end. "Just say it, Sakura! It's no big deal! As long as it's not Sasuke, I'm happy!"

"Okay then…" Sakura began, before dramatically pausing. "…You'd probably have never guessed that it's Rock Lee—"

The name suddenly became clear in Ino's mind. "Ohmigosh, are you serious?!" Ino shrieked. "Lee?! Him?! You mean the guy with the unibrow?!"

Sakura suddenly went on the defensive. "_So what_ if he's got a unibrow?! It's the person he is inside that I like!"

Ino could scarcely breathe. "You and Lee," she muttered to herself, dumbstruck. "I-I still can't believe it. This is too much. Never had I thought you'd wind up with someone like him. This is more shocking than you liking Naruto—"

"Correction, Ino!" Sakura interrupted crossly, "I do not like Naruto, remember?!"

Ino ignored Sakura once again. "My gosh, Sakura, this is surprising," she stated, still in disbelief, but now curious as well. "Since when have you two started going out? I heard Lee broadcasting something about you 'finally going out with him,' but I thought he was just being crazy. But now…" A twisted smile formed on Ino's face. "…I'm gonna tease you to no end."

Sakura shrugged. "Go ahead and tease me," she said carelessly, "I don't care."

Once again, Ino found herself in utter disbelief. "What?! You don't _care_?!" she repeated.

Sakura smiled coyly. "No, I really don't," she replied, and then turned away from Ino. "In fact, you can even have Sasuke if you want. He's all yours." And with those three words, Sakura sauntered away.

Ino was shocked into silence. _First she's going out with Rock Lee, then she doesn't care about my teasing her, and now she's _letting Sasuke go?!_ Her crush since the Academy?! This is too much to take in! ..." _Ino could only stare at her best friend's departing back. _I thought I knew you, Sakura. Thought I knew you like night and day, but you've changed… so much that I don't even recognize you anymore! It's like you've become a totally different person! What's gotten into you, Sakura?!_

**A/N: **To make up for my short chapter, I made this one extra-long! This is probably the longest chapter so far! Hope you liked it! Things are really changing now. I mean, Sakura's totally flipped! So, everyone knows about the new couple now, right? Wrong! I know I haven't brought up Sasuke since the second chapter, and I bet you're wondering what's been going on with him. Well, just wait a little longer! And please R&R!


	7. Bitter Feelings

**A/N: **Guess who finally appears in this chapter? Yep, it's Sasuke! Sorry I haven't brought him up in such a long time, but I thank all of you who have waited so patiently!

Chapter Seven: Bitter Feelings

As Sakura left a very speechless Ino behind, she herself couldn't believe what she'd just said. I_ just told _Ino_ that she could have _Sasuke she thought in disbelief. _I, Sakura Haruno, just told Ino Yamanaka, my biggest rival, that she could have Sasuke, the one person who I've loved all my life!_ Sakura hesitated. _…At least, who I've _thought_ I loved…_ Sakura gazed forlornly at the rose in her hand that Lee had just given her when he'd treated her at the Ichiraku.

_A rose… a flower symbolic for love… I remember when Ino and I picked out flowers at her shop not too long ago for Sasuke… Ino had chosen a single red rose—just like this one, in fact—while I had chosen a daffodil. That day, I told her that a rose was so predictable—so unoriginal…_ By now, Sakura had reached the stairs to her apartment building and began to climb them. _…And even today, I still believe in those words. A rose is a rose, and its meaning is starting to wear down to nothing…_

When Sakura reached her door, she went straight to her bedroom and gently shut the door behind her. Glancing around her room, the first thing Sakura noticed was that the sunlight was streaming in from her window in a perfect line that shone directly on her most treasured picture: a photo of Team 7.

Sakura walked over to her dresser and picked up the frame picture. Surveying it from the right, Sakura noticed a pouting Naruto with crossed arms, glaring at Sasuke. She smiled a little. _Typical Naruto…always trying to be better than Sasuke…_

A smiling Kakashi. _Even with that mask on, you can still tell he's happy…_

A very cheerful and energetic Sakura. _If only I could be as enthusiastic as I had been back then…_

And Sasuke.

Sakura stared hard into his picture, instantly recognizing his bored and grumpy look that screamed, "I wish I could be anywhere but here!"

Sakura began to feel her anger rise. _Probably because he's standing right next to someone as annoying as _meshe thought bitterly. Tears began to form in her eyes, and Sakura wiped them away furiously. She then griped the photo tightly in her hands and was about to slam it to the ground…but stopped herself at the last minute…

Sighing, Sakura gently set the picture back down on the dresser. Scowling, she thought, _I'm mad at you, Sasuke. I'm mad at how you treated me. After all I've done for you, I deserve better! _She caught sight of the rose. _…I…I deserve Lee!_

Suddenly, Sakura heard her mother calling her. "Sakura! Sakura, it's time for dinner!"

Startled by the sudden interruption that broke her trail of thought, the rose slipped from Sakura's fingers. She tried to catch it before it fell, but she was too late. The rose had already touched to the ground, and at the time, had lost one of its crimson petals.

* * *

Two weeks passed, and Team 7 hadn't received any new missions from Kakashi. Some were really disappointed (a.k.a. Naruto), but others didn't mind the break…at least Sakura didn't. 'Course she was too busy going on dates with Rock Lee about every other day…until one morning, Kakashi called a meeting.

"Man! We haven't had a mission in forever!" Naruto exclaimed, smiling broadly as he and Sakura walked side-by-side toward their destination. "I've been dying for a day like this one, don't you agree, Sakura?"

"Um, yeah," Sakura muttered, adjusting the straps of her pale brown backpack. _I don't mind going on a mission, but I _do_ mind seeing Sasuke there… That is, if he even comes…_ She gazed straight ahead toward the same arced bridge where they had all met at (minus Sasuke) a few weeks ago. _I just don't know how I'll be able to work with him to accomplish anything. Not after what he did to me…_

By the time they reached the bridge, Naruto dropped his bag down on the wooden floor. Stretching himself, he enthusiastically proclaimed, "Ah! Here we are! Finally!" He then looked around, and—suddenly realizing that they were the only ones there—instantly frowned. "Hey, where's Sasuke?"

Sakura set her bag down and leaned up against the bridge's railing. "Don't expect him to show up," she replied spitefully. "I'll bet he's not coming…again."

Naruto gave Sakura a quick double-take. "Are you…sick or something, Sakura?" he asked curiously, "Maybe you haven't recovered from that cold yet—"

"I'm fine, Naruto! That was a long time ago!" Sakura interrupted loudly, "Just forget about it, okay?!"

Naruto backed away in surprise. _Gee, she's scary when she gets angry like that! _However, Naruto was determined to find out what was bothering her. "But why would you ever doubt Sasuke?"_ …You always seem to agree with _everything_ he says…_

Sakura stared at the ground, her anger quickly transforming into sorrow. "He…he's gone too far this time," she said softly.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. _Huh? What the heck's she talking about?_

Now apart for the gentle lapping of the stream beneath them, the bridge had become dead-silent. But little did Naruto and Sakura know that their fellow teammate was silently watching and listening into their conversation the whole time, concealing his presence behind the thick trunk of a nearby tree…

Gritting his teeth in irritation, Sasuke thought: _Don't tell me she's still moping over what I said. That was weeks ago! She should be over it by now! It's no big deal! _Sasuke glanced down at the grass and dug his shoe angrily into the dirt. _…But who cares if she's going to wallow in her misery? She chose to be that way, and I'll gladly let her be that way! I'm not going to let some annoying worrywart get in the way of the mission. The _mission_ is all that matters._

Now having cleared up his thoughts, Sasuke finally stepped out from behind the tree and casually began to walk toward the rest of his team. Naruto was the first to notice him.

Running up to his rival, he greeted, "Hey, there you are, Sasuke! Thought you wouldn't make it to the mission today!"

Upon hearing Sasuke's name, Sakura glanced up at him. Glaring, she thought: _Well, well, well. Look who actually made it today._

"'Course I made it, loser," Sasuke teased, though a slight grin revealed that he was just messing with him. He then looked pointedly at Sakura, who he was a bit surprised to see glaring at him for once. However, he just glared right back at her.

Naruto noticed this, but had no idea what was going on. _Whoa. Did I miss something?_

Yet before tensions could flare, Kakashi suddenly appeared before them. Make-Out Paradise in hand, he said, "Oh, look. It seems like all three of you chose to show up on time today. What a surprise."

"And _you're_ actually early today, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto argued.

Instead of answering Naruto, Kakashi introduced the mission, "Well, since everyone's here today, we will _for sure_ start today's mission…"

"Okay! Okay! I get it!" Naruto blurted, "Now just hurry up and tell us the mission, Kakashi-sensei! I've been waiting way too long for this day!

"Don't get too excited, Naruto," Kakashi warned, "…Because what I had planned was a nice and simple..." He paused dramatically. "…D-rank assignment."

"WHAT?! _D_-RANK?!" Naruto repeated in disbelief, raising a threatening fist in the air. "But, Kakashi-sensei! We're already on our way to becoming _Chunin_! …"

_At least some of us are…_ Sasuke thought.

"…We don't need D-rank missions anymore! We're not gonna be lousy Genin for long! Believe it!" Naruto protested fervently.

"But for now, you're all Genin. And until you do actually become Chunin, it's strictly D-rank," Kakashi stated bluntly, finally closing his precious novel.

_Though in some cases, Genin are assigned C-rank missions,_ Kakashi thought. However, he made sure to leave that detail out: "Anyway, here's what I want you to do…"

With no more arguments left in him to protest, Naruto reluctantly resigned himself to simply asking, "Okay. What is it?"

**A/N:** That, I'll reveal in the next chapter!


	8. New Mission, New Problems

Chapter Eight: New Mission, New Problems

Kakashi cleared his throat. "…Your mission is to help clean the Ichiraku. The owner and his daughter have a lot on their hands right now and requested that some eager Genin with nothing to do come help them clean up their ramen shop."

Sasuke scoffed. _How pathetic. It's just like when we first became Genin and were assigned boring so-called missions like this one. What a waste of time. I'd much rather be training._

Coincidentally, Naruto had the same exact thoughts. "Are you kidding me?!" he hollered, "As much as I love ramen more than anything, I'd rather _not_ clean up the old man's shop! Can't we at least do something more exciting?! This is just like that stupid cat mission we had when we first became Genin. At a time like this, shouldn't we be training, Kakashi-sensei?! You say we have nothing to do, but that's a lie! We should all be training for the final rounds of the Chunin Exam!"

"Oh, quit complaining, Naruto," Kakashi told him calmly, "It'll only take a couple of hours at the most, and besides, you had ample time to train in the past two and a half weeks since the end of the preliminaries. What have you been doing this whole time?"

"I _have_ been training, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto protested indignantly, "Believe it! I've been working my butt off since then! But maybe—just _maybe_—I would benefit more if you trained _me_!" Naruto shot Sasuke a death-glare. "…Instead of that jerk Sasuke!"

Sakura couldn't help but smirk. If it were two weeks ago, she would have smacked Naruto in the head in an instant, but now, she whole-heartedly agreed with him. _Cha! You tell him, Naruto!_

Apparently, Sasuke didn't notice Sakura smirk. Instead, he just returned Naruto's glare with a haughty, "Maybe he'd train you if kept your mouth shut for once."

Naruto could feel his anger rising. "Want to say that again, Sasuke?!"

Yet before Sasuke could fire back another witty remark, Kakashi interrupted: "Okay, that's enough arguing, you two," he said, taking on the role of peacekeeper since Sakura had now let their disputes slide.

Naruto pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke. "But he started it!"

_Actually, _you_ started it this time, Naruto, _Sakura said to herself silently, in spite of herself.

Kakashi sighed. "I don't care who started it," he answered dully, "Just make sure all three of you complete this mission successfully."_ …And I certainly hope they have much more teamwork than they're displaying. They've been Genin for almost a year now, and still haven't fully learned what it takes to be a team._ He glanced in Sakura's direction. _And I'm surprised at how quiet Sakura's been lately. Normally, she would have jumped into Sasuke's defense… I just hope they all get their act together to succeed in this mission. _

"…I'll check up with Teuchi and Ayame later to see how you did," Kakashi added at last. "Good luck!" And then—just like the last time—he was gone in a cloud of smoke.

After he left, the three Genin remained silent. Naruto wore a pout on his face and had his arms crossed, while Sasuke just glanced away toward the forest with his hands casually in his pockets. On the other hand, Sakura just looked at them both with blank stares. Neither of them was moving an inch, which Sakura had to admit she was used to.

"Um…" she said after a moment, "Don't you think we should get going now?"

Naruto glanced at Sakura before peering over his shoulder towards Sasuke, glaring at him one last time. "Not until he apologizes," he declared tenaciously.

Sasuke scoffed. "Well, just for the record, you're never gonna get one, loser."

"Then I'm staying here!" Naruto insisted.

Sakura rolled her eyes. _Naruto can be so single-minded sometimes. _"C'mon, Naruto! Stop being so stubborn!" she shouted impatiently, placing her hands on her hips. "We can leave Sasuke behind, if you'd like!"

Sakura's last statement caught Sasuke by surprise, but he didn't say anything. And unlike Sasuke, Naruto didn't even notice the dramatic change in Sakura's personality. "Fine!" he decided at last, an edge present in his voice. However, he still began to walk back towards the village. "Let's go!"

Sakura grinned. _That's more like it._ She then trailed after Naruto, not even bothering to glance back to see if Sasuke was following or not.

* * *

Within a few minutes, the three Genin had reached the Ichiraku, and were warmly greeted by Teuchi and Ayame.

"We're so glad you could come today!" Ayame gushed, "My dad and I have to close up shop early today to run some errands outside the village."

Teuchi nodded. "Sorry this place is such a mess, but we're running a little late." He beckoned toward the counter, where a pair of wooden buckets stood with sponges on both sides. "The counters need to be wiped, the dishes in the sink need to be washed, and the floors need to be hand-scrubbed, mopped, and swept. Do you think you guys can handle it?"

Naruto was the first to answer: "Of course, old man! We've got it covered! No sweat!" he replied fervently, pointing a proud thumb at himself. "You can count on us! After all, _we're_ not your average D-rank mission Genin!"

Sakura sweat-dropped. _Seems like Naruto still hasn't gotten over Kakashi giving us this low-ranked assignment yet…_

Sasuke forced himself not to scoff again. _What a loser…_

Teuchi and his daughter smiled. "Well, that's nice to hear," Teuchi stated.

They both bowed slightly. "Thank you all," Ayame said sincerely, "We really appreciate it."

After a terse farewell of waves and good-bye's, Naruto took charge: "Sakura and I'll handle the floors," he said, glancing in Sasuke's direction, "And _you_ can take care of the dishes and counters."

Sasuke glared at Naruto. "Just to let you know, I don't take orders from losers like you…"

"What?!"

"…_But_… I guess I'm fine with that," Sasuke replied at last with a shrug of his shoulders. He then walked behind the counter, leaving a very enraged Naruto fuming.

Naruto's eyes burned with fire. "Why…you…"

Before Naruto could lunge at Sasuke, Sakura handed him a mop. "Give it a rest, Naruto," she told him, handing him a bucket of water and a sponge. She then starting scrubbing the floor with her own cleaning materials.

Naruto stared down at the bucket and sponge in his hands. "What sort of mission is this, anyway?" he whined, "This is B-O-R-I-N-G!"

"Deal with it, dobe," Sasuke snapped coldly. By now, he was already rinsing out a dirty bowl.

Naruto resisted the urge to fling the bucket in Sasuke's face. "I wasn't talking to you, jerk!" he retorted, and then fell down to his knees, scrubbing furiously at the floor. "Just you watch, Sasuke! I'll finish scrubbing, mopping, and sweeping the floor before you even _start_ on the counters!"

"Hn. Just keep telling yourself that," Sasuke replied.

Sakura rolled her eyes again, but didn't say anything this time.

* * *

After just fifteen minutes, Naruto dropped his sponge and stood up, wiping sweat from his forehead. He surveyed the floor, which now glistened in the afternoon sun. "Whew! Almost done!" He glanced over at Sasuke, who was finishing the last of his dishes. _Darn! He's almost done! I'll never finish with the floor in time!_

"Don't forget; we still need to get the floor behind the back counter," Sakura reminded him.

Naruto's face fell. "What?! Are you serious?!"

Suddenly, he felt a tug at the corner of his stomach. _Gah! Oh, no! Not now! Ugh! I-I think I might have ate too much ramen this morning! _Naruto clutched his stomach. "Uh, I'll be right back!" he declared, before dashing off towards the nearest restroom.

Sakura stared after him. _So much for his bold proposal of getting done with the floors before Sasuke finished the dishes… Naruto's not gonna be too happy when he finds out Sasuke'll be done with the dishes _and_ counters all before he gets back, knowing how long Naruto takes in the restroom…_

Yet now that Naruto was gone, it was just Sasuke and her alone in the ramen shop. It felt really awkward, especially since Sakura didn't say anything for a change. No "Are you almost done with those dishes?" "Are you ready for the final match of the Chunin Exams?" or even a "How's everything going, Sasuke?" All those questions felt trivial and unimportant right now, as if they were a part of Sakura that no longer existed.

"Sakura?"

Sakura recognized the voice immediately, but refused to respond. _Oh, so now he wants to talk to me?_ she thought spitefully. _Well, it's a little late for that._

"Sakura?" Sasuke's voice started to grow annoyed.

Sakura threw her sponge down. "What?!" she demanded, glancing up to see Sasuke's turned back. Just like Sasuke's, her voice now had an irritated edge to it, but Sakura silently hoped he would notice this. Though she'd never used such a tone of voice with Sasuke before, the feeling that came with it was surprisingly good and relieving.

"…If you're mad at me for what happened outside my apartment two weeks ago…you're wasting your time," Sasuke replied coldly.

The sudden question took Sakura by surprise, but she refused to falter. "…I-is that what you think? Just who do you think you are to tell me how I should feel?!" Sakura demanded after a moment. She tried to make it sound like one of those confident and angry retorts that Naruto always shot back at Sasuke, but she couldn't.

Sasuke continued to wash the dishes, not even bothering to turn around and face her. "What happened then was a long time ago," he went on monotonously, "You should be over it by now."

Sakura couldn't believe Sasuke was giving her another one of those dreaded lectures about how she shouldn't care again. "For your information, I _am_ over it!" she protested. "I don't need you anymore, Sasuke! I've got Lee now!" The words came out of her mouth before she could stop it.

Sasuke paused momentarily. "Lee?" he asked curiously. _What about Lee?_

Sakura mustered up her courage. _This is my moment… The time when I finally stand up to Sasuke…_ "That's right!" she replied confidently. "Why did I even waste my time obsessing over you when Lee was right in front of me this entire time?! Lee's a lot better guy than you'll ever be, Sasuke! He knows how to listen to me, and cares about how I feel…unlike _you_!"

Sakura glanced up at Sasuke expectantly, a smug smile on her face. _That ought to show him!_

After a moment, Sasuke asked, "Is that all you have to say?" His voice was even and cool. "Do you really think I could care less?"

Sakura did not expect Sasuke to say _that_. "What?"

"You know, what you need to do is chill out, and forget about it," Sasuke told her bluntly.

Sakura gaped at him for a moment, appalled. "Haven't you been listening? I already told you that I _am_ over it, remember? I've got Lee, and compared to him, you're nothing!" She sneered. "You really don't know anything about me, do you?" She gave him a moment to reply, but he didn't say anything.

Sakura shook her head in dismay. She'd had enough of this, and wasn't going to put up with it anymore. She stood up to leave, but before she did, she gave one final, hard glare in Sasuke's direction. "You disappoint me sometimes…Sasuke Uchiha…"

And with that said, Sakura walked out of the Ichiraku, leaving Sasuke behind.

Sasuke waited a moment before turning off the running water, and then turned around to see Sakura's retreating back, walking out on him…again.

**A/N: **And so, the moment you've all been waiting for: Sasuke's finally found out about Sakura and Lee, and Sakura's finally given Sasuke a piece of mind! What else could happen? Well, just for the head's up, I'll reveal Sasuke's thoughts in the next chapter!


	9. Truth be Told

Chapter Nine: Truth be Told

As soon as she was a good three blocks away from the Ichiraku, Sakura managed a quick glance behind her shoulder. From here, the ramen shop seemed quite distant, and though she could make out the general shape of the place, she couldn't see identify any people in the shop. _That's good. I'm far enough now._

Sakura turned around and, coincidentally, laid eyes upon that small old gray, stone bench. She smiled at it wryly before taking a seat. _Why do I always wind up here…of all places?_

She just sat there for a moment, thinking hard as she tightly gripped the pleats of her red outfit. _I still can't believe what Sasuke said to me just now! The nerve of him! After all that's happened, how could he commit the very same mistake he made the last time?! How can he just tell me how I should feel?! Who does he think he is?!_ Sakura's anger reached its apex, and if it weren't for her being three blocks away from him, Sakura could've sworn that she'd have slapped Sasuke. _I…I hate you, Sasuke!_

The sudden thought surprised Sakura. Never in her life had she ever thought she'd hate him, but then again, never had she thought she'd wind up with Rock Lee, either. Still, the thought of hatred toward Sasuke was quite strange.

Sakura rested her head in her hands, and stared at the ground. _I say I hate Sasuke, but no, that's not true… I just…I just wish he would learn to accept me for once, and not just shove me aside… _She sighed. _I tell myself I'm completely over Sasuke, and that I shouldn't care about what he says or thinks about me anymore, but if that were true, why does it hurt to hear him say all those things to me? Why do I even care anymore?_

A fresh tear hit the floor, and Sakura wiped her eyes irritably. _No more tears! I'm sick of crying! Stupid Sasuke! It's all his fault!_

She glanced up just in time to see Rock Lee quickly speeding down the street. Drawing in a deep breath, she steadied herself and called out to him, "Hey, Lee, what's up?"

Lee turned to face Sakura, and then smiled when he saw her. "Oh, Sakura! I did not even notice you were there!"

_Well, that's a first,_ Sakura thought, a bit surprised.

"So, where are you going off to in such a hurry?" she questioned curiously.

"I have to meet with Guy-sensei right now for some one-on-one training," Lee explained quickly, "I am sorry, but I do not have the time. Can we talk later?" He had a sympathetic look on his face that revealed how sincere he was, and at that moment, Sakura couldn't help but wish Sasuke were more like Lee in that sense.

Other than that, Sakura felt like she really needed to talk to Lee to get her mind off Sasuke, but she knew better than to get in the way between Lee and Guy. Even though Lee pledged undying love for her, she knew that Guy was Lee's idol. "That's alright," she lied, trying earnestly to sound convincing. "I completely understand."

Lee hesitated. "Something is bothering you, is it not?"

Sakura couldn't help but smile a little. "You know me better than anyone, Lee."

Lee glanced around tentatively for a moment before giving Sakura a strong smile in return. "Okay, if we can make it quick!" Sitting down next to Sakura on the bench, he told her, "Now, what is the problem? Remember, you can tell me anything and I will gladly listen!"

Now that he was all-ears, Sakura didn't know where to begin. "Well, it's just that I-I can't get over him. He's all I think about, and…I really don't know what to do…"

_She…she is talking about me!_ Lee figured, almost unable to contain his joy. That_ I am certain of! _He tried his best to keep himself from bursting out in a display of sheer happiness, and eventually managed to tell her, "If you cannot get someone out of your head, then maybe they are supposed to be there."

Sakura couldn't quite understand why Lee was saying _that_—especially since this was Sasuke she was talking about. She's at least expected Lee to be more upset… but then it hit her. "Oh, no! You don't get it, Lee! I'm talking about—"

Yet before Sakura could tell Lee everything on her mind, a nearby door burst open, and a loud voice proclaimed, "Ah! That's better! Now I can finally go back to the Ichiraku and finish cleaning before Sasuke does!"

Both Sakura and Rock Lee suddenly glanced up. "Naruto?"

"Huh?" Naruto spun around and instantly noticed the two of them together. He narrowed his eyes, and pointed a threatening finger at Lee. "Hey, what are you doing here, Bushy Brow?!"

Lee glanced over at Sakura briefly before answering Naruto, "I was just out on my way to see Guy-sensei. And—now that you mention it—I guess I better get going…" He quickly stood up to leave.

"What?" Sakura stood up as well, alarmed. "You're leaving _now_?" _But I didn't even get to tell you anything yet!_

Lee winced. "Yeah… I am sorry," he apologized, "But I have to." And then before she knew it, he took her hands in his and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. As he reeled back, Sakura noticed a deep blush across his face. "I promise that I will make it up to you!"

And then—in an instant—he was gone. All the while, Sakura just stared straight ahead of her, completely stunned. Likewise, Naruto—who had just witnessed the whole thing right in front of him—was gaping at Sakura in shock.

After what seemed like an eternity, Naruto finally ran over to where Sakura stood and blurted, "I can't believe what I just saw! I mean—I can't believe he did that to you! I'm just shocked, Sakura! What the heck just happened?!" He gave her a moment to reply, but then quickly grew impatient since she wasn't responding. "_Hello_! Earth to Sakura! Why aren't you saying anything?!"

Sakura was still lost in her own little world. _I can't believe he just kissed me just now! That was completely uncalled for! _She suddenly snapped back into reality. "...T-to be honest…I'm not sure what to think…" she breathed at last, still completely stunned.

"Oh, don't lie to me, Sakura!" Naruto protested indignantly. "I can tell you're totally in love with Lee! For what reasons? I don't know! And I don't think I ever will!"

Sakura chose to ignore Naruto, and glared at him instead. "Shouldn't you be heading back to the Ichiraku right now?"

"_You're_ telling _me_?!" Naruto exclaimed incredulously. "Just how long have _you_ been out here hanging out with your boyfriend, huh?!"

Sakura just rolled her eyes. "Quit complaining, Naruto," she told him dryly, before raising her voice in anger, "And besides, _I'm_ the one who should be complaining! It's because of _you_ that he had to leave! …I hope you're happy!"

Naruto changed the subject, "I don't get it, Sakura! What's Lee have that I don't?!"

"For one thing, he's not loud and obnoxious like you are," Sakura retorted.

"What?! Now, Sakura, that's not true—" Naruto insisted.

Sakura cut him off. "I don't have time to argue with you, Naruto!" she shot back fiercely, "Now go back to the Ichiraku before I pound you into the ground!"

Naruto backed away from her apprehensively. "B-but aren't you coming, too?" he squeaked.

"No!" Sakura exclaimed. Yet this time, she didn't sound as threatening, because she knew that the reason why she couldn't go back there was because of Sasuke. _Besides, __I can't go back there now… Not with Sasuke around… I still can't believe he said all those things to me again._

Yet despite her less hostile tone, Naruto was still as scared as ever. "Yipe! Okay, okay! I'll go! Geez!" He took off back toward the ramen shop, "But don't blame me if Kakashi-sensei gets mad at your for bailing on the mission!"

As Sakura stared at Naruto's retreating back, she narrowed her eyes at him. _Bail on a mission? Who does he think he's kidding?! I'd never bail on a mission! _Sakura hesitated. _But then…what am I doing now? Well, it's only because of Sasuke. If it weren't for him, I'd never… _A sudden realization dawned over her. _Hold it! Bailing on a mission? Bluntly telling Naruto that I wouldn't follow him back to finish our mission? I'm acting just like Sasuke was… _Sakura stared down at the ground forlornly. _…Two weeks ago…when he said the same thing to me… _

Sakura fell back down on the bench.

* * *

_Back at the Ichiraku…_

As Sasuke wiped the counters, his mind wandered. Sakura_ likes _Lee_? Since when?!_ _The last time I remembered, she was completely freaked out by him and thought he was weird…apart from that one time when she was acting grateful for something he did at the Forest of Death. But c'mon, just because she became more appreciative of him, doesn't mean she actually _likes_ him now, right? …But then…what could have changed her mind? _

He smirked, finally allowing his curiosity to subside. _Well, I'll admit I _am_ surprised of her new attitude towards me, but…like I told her…she needed to stop wasting her time, and just get over it._

He glanced up all of a sudden, and just barely caught sight of pale pink hair in the distance. She was three blocks away from where he stood, but Sasuke could still tell it was Sakura. And though he could not see her face, he knew that she was gazing at the ground… forlornly.

Sasuke stared at her for a moment, and started to feel that irritable sense of guilt climb up his spine again. But Sasuke wasn't willing to let it get the best of him this time. _Who cares if I was so blunt? I had to set her straight! …I was just telling her that she should get on with her life and to stop wasting her time by moping in the past! And besides, why should I even feel the least bit guilty right now? After all, she _did_ say that she was over it, and that she had now moved on to Lee, and was completely through with me, right?!_

Sasuke glanced back up in Sakura's direction, and scowled. _No… She can't possibly have meant all that, at least…not being so depressed like this… Maybe she was just lying…?_

Sasuke's guilt caught up with him again, and he suddenly felt compelled to walk outside and make it up to her. Sighing in frustration, he dropped the damp cloth on the table, and headed out of the Ichiraku…

That is, until he saw a black-haired boy in a green jumpsuit coming to an abrupt stop in front of the bench where Sakura sat.

Sasuke froze. _Hold it! That's Rock Lee!_

For some reason, Sasuke kept his eyes fixed on the two of them. And when he noticed that Sakura had not jumped ten feet away when Rock Lee sat next to her, Sasuke's eyes widened. _So Sakura was telling the truth?! She and Lee really are together now?! _Sasuke didn't know why it was so surprisingly to him. Usually, things like this wouldn't even interest him in the least, but, apparently, this time was different.

After all, Sakura had only loved Sasuke…

Until now.

Sasuke just shrugged it off, though. _So, she finally has found someone else to worry about and obsess over… That's nice. No more stupid fangirl chasing after me day and night…_ He grinned in amusement, and then returned to the counter. Grabbing the damp white cloth, he resumed his task of cleaning as he forced himself to keep his eyes down at the brown counters. But it didn't take long before he looked up again. This time, he noticed a vibrant orange figure in the distance. _That's Naruto, no doubt, _Sasuke observed,_ Hn. Took him long enough…_

From where he stood, Sasuke noticed Naruto pointing a threatening finger at Sakura and Lee—or at least, _Lee_, in that matter—and even though he couldn't hear a word, Sasuke knew he was yelling at him. _Naruto's hopeless…_ Sasuke thought, shaking his head in disgust.

The next thing Sasuke knew was Lee suddenly standing up to leave with Sakura right behind him. Then, he noticed Lee take Sakura by the hands and lean in to…

Sasuke began to feel a knot twist in the pit of his stomach. No, he wasn't at all surprised that Lee had kissed her. Instead, he was completely surprised that while he'd expected Sakura to shriek and jump far, far away, she didn't. Instead, she just stared at him, and Sasuke couldn't tell from that whether she had reacted with disgust or elation. The feeling of not knowing tortured Sasuke to no end, and he had no idea why… No idea why he was feeling jealous of Sakura's new boyfriend.

**A/N: **So there you have it! Sasuke's thoughts, as promised, and the new _jealously_ that starting to form…


	10. Can't Run Forever

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update! I know it's been a month now, but now that school's back, I can't find much time to write with all the AP homework and all! I hope this chapter is as good as the last!

Chapter Ten: Can't Run Forever

By the time Sasuke finally broke free from his thoughts, he'd noticed Lee was gone, and Naruto was now heading in his direction, back to the Ichiraku. Trying to look busy, Sasuke quickly grabbed the white cloth and resumed wiping the counters.

Once Naruto arrived, he noticed Sasuke with the cloth in his hand. He scowled. "Aw, man!" he whined. "You've already finished the dishes?"

It took a moment for Naruto's words to sink in, but when they did, Sasuke glanced up at him, a triumphant smile etched on his face. "Yeah, I finished them a long time ago," he replied, "But maybe you would have managed to finish scrubbing _half_ the floors if you hadn't spent so long in the restroom, idiot."

Naruto raised a fist at Sasuke. "Oh yeah? You want to know who's the idiot?!" he challenged, the anger rising in his voice. Naruto got a hold of the bucket full of water on the ground, and was about to hurl it at Sasuke… That is…until Sasuke suddenly appeared out of nowhere to grab his wrist and prevent him from throwing the bucket.

Naruto could only gape at Sasuke in shocked silence. _W-when did Sasuke get _this_ fast? I didn't even see him move!_

Sasuke paid no mind to Naruto's shock, and instead asked him in a low, serious voice, "Hey, um, do you know what's been going on…between Sakura and Lee?" He had to force the words out of his mouth, and even then, it was still extremely difficult. Yet he felt an even stronger urge to know the details. _I just have to know!_

Naruto snapped back into reality, and briskly shook his arm free from Sasuke's strong grasp. "Do _I_ know?!" he repeated incredulously. "Of course I do! Who doesn't?!" Naruto then glanced at Sasuke. "Oh! That's right! I almost forgot! _You_ don't!" He suddenly burst out laughing hysterically.

Sasuke just glared at Naruto. _Shut up already!_

Once Naruto finally managed to calm himself, he answered Sasuke, "They've been going out for two weeks now, haven't you heard? I thought everyone in Konoha knew, but I guess you didn't!" _Ha! This is great!_ Naruto thought, feeling an air of superiority for once. _Finally! Something I know that Sasuke doesn't!_

While Naruto relished in his pride, Sasuke was deep in thought: _Two weeks? Two weeks ago was when I told Sakura off… She's been going out with Lee for _two whole weeks_ now? Wow…she got over me quickly… _Though he couldn't quite explain it, Sasuke found himself bothered by that.

"But, hey, why do you want to know?" Naruto asked abruptly, interrupting Sasuke's thoughts.

Sasuke was taken aback by his question, but still remained indifferent. "No reason…" And before Naruto could continue to question him, Sasuke fired off a question of his own, "So…why isn't Sakura here right now?" Though he already suspected the answer, Sasuke also thought that Sakura might have offered a different excuse to Naruto.

Naruto scowled. "I wish I knew!" he confessed, "She wouldn't tell me anything! Well, other than she'd pound me if I didn't come back here!" Naruto thought for a moment. "Hmm. If only I knew what was bothering her. Sakura's been acting funny ever since…" He gasped, the answer finally having registered in his mind.

Naruto shot an icy glare at Sasuke. "…Sasuke, what did you do this time?!" he demanded.

"Tch. Nothing, dobe."

"That's a lie!" Naruto countered, "'Cause just this morning, when I asked Sakura about whether or not you were going to show up for today's mission, she mentioned something about you having…I don't know—'gone too far'! Yeah, that's right!"

"So tell me, _you jerk_, what did you do to Sakura now?" Naruto's voice was now bitter cold, and Sasuke could hardly recognize it from the high and mighty one of just minutes ago.

However, it was the persistent guilt that bothered Sasuke the most. He stared hard at the ground. "I didn't do anything," he countered, his voice growing with impatience.

Naruto found himself just plain fed-up with Sasuke. "You know, I don't know what's happened between you and Sakura, but I know one thing: yeah, Sakura's got her new boyfriend now, but I can tell that something's still bothering her…" Naruto said in a low voice, "And I know you know better than I as to why she's so upset."

Sasuke ignored Naruto, "Enough with the small talk. Let's get back to work. We'll finish this with or without Sakura, got that?" He turned his back on Naruto, and resumed cleaning.

Naruto stared at Sasuke's back for a second, shaking his head in dismay. Yet he didn't say anything, and simply resumed his task, as well.

The remainder of the afternoon was silent that day, but Sasuke kept his mind on one thing: that Naruto was right, and that no matter how much Sasuke tried to ignore it, the more it bothered him.

* * *

By the time Naruto and Sasuke finished cleaning up the Ichiraku, it was early evening, and the sun had now just dipped below the horizon, casting a blend of vibrant oranges and yellows in the sky.

"Well, that took forever!" Naruto proclaimed, seeming to have lost all anger towards Sasuke, as he leaned the broom against the back wall. "Lucky for Sakura she didn't have to do much! It's not fair! I just hope the old man treats us to free ramen for a job well done!"

As Naruto went on with his raves, Sasuke paid him no mind. He just glanced out at the campus bench…only to find it empty. _I wonder where she went off to…_

Naruto finally looked in Sasuke's direction, and was surprised to find him gazing outside. "Hey, are you even listening to me?!" he demanded.

Naruto's loud voice intruded Sasuke's thoughts. "Huh? You say something?"

"Argh! See? I knew you weren't listening! You never listen to me!" Naruto insisted obstinately, "Quit acting like you're better than everyone else—'cause you're _not_!"

Sasuke grinned. "Heh. We'll just have to wait and see at the Chunin Exams…" He stepped past Naruto and rounded the back counter. "But in the meantime…I'm going home."

As Sasuke headed off, he could hear Naruto's voice in the background, "Yeah! Yeah! That's right! You better head home!" Yet all Sasuke thought about was what he had said earlier: _"…Sakura's got her new boyfriend now, but I can tell that something's bothering her… And I know you know better than I as to why she's so upset."_

_

* * *

As for Sakura…_

After spending all of the afternoon eating alone at an udon restaurant to gather her thoughts, Sakura walked home, her eyes concentrated on the dirt ground below her. _Naruto and Sasuke are probably finished cleaning the Ichiraku by now… I feel awful about bailing on the mission, but it's not like I had much of a choice… Hopefully, Kakashi-sensei didn't pay the boys a surprise visit, and if he didn't, I certainly hope neither of them rat on my not being there. _

Sakura shook her head. _No, it's not like Naruto to rat on me, and as for that jerk Sasuke… Well, he never says anything… _As she turned a street corner, her apartment came into view. Yet by the time she was about to climb the stairs, a voice called out to her.

"Sakura…"

Sakura's eyes dilated. She hadn't expected to hear that voice ever again in her life…at least, not after what happened earlier. _He's probably here to "so kindly remind me" that I should get over the incident,_ Sakura thought bitterly. _Well, I've already heard enough of it—can't he just give me a break?! _She chose to ignore the voice, and began to climb the stairs.

"Sakura, I need to talk to you." There was a sense of urgency in Sasuke's voice, and Sakura paused briefly in mid-step.

"If it's about what happened two weeks ago…I don't want to hear it," she told him sternly.

"Well, I think you should hear it—"

Sakura turned around to face him, and shot him a death glare. "Save it, Sasuke! I already told you, I don't want to hear it! Is that so hard to understand?!" She felt a crack in her voice, and then instantly turned away. "Just forget it, okay?!" She hurried up the stairs without another word.

"Sakura! Just let me talk to you!" Sasuke started to chase after her, but stopped as soon as he reached the stairs. Pretty soon, all he could hear were her fleeting footsteps, each of them growing fainter as she grew further away. "Sakura…"

The next thing he heard was the soft shut of a distant door overhead, which seemed to reflect how distant Sakura was right now. Dejected, Sasuke hung his head I defeat, but maintained a straight face. _Why? …Why do I care so much? Why does it bother me every time when she runs away from me? I should be glad she's finally out of my life, but I'm not… _

_Why?_


	11. A Fresh Start

**A/N: **Sorry for the late post! How long has it been since I've last updated? One and a half months? Since September? I know it's been awhile, but like I said earlier, I can barely find time to write anymore! Well, I hope this long chapter makes up for it! 

Oh, and thanks to all you readers who has submitted reviews thus far! At ten chapters, I'm finally at 101 reviews, and that's something I'm _very_ proud of!

Chapter Eleven: A Fresh Start

Three mornings later, a gentle _knock, knock_ echoed throughout Sakura's small apartment. Since the young kunoichi's parents had left the house earlier, Sakura was the only one who could answer it. Fortunately, she was already up from bed and was just fastening her forehead protector on top of her pale pink hair.

The moment she heard the knock on the door, Sakura's initial thought was that it was Sasuke. _How dare he show his face here after all that's happened? Who does he think he is? Doesn't he understand that I just want to be left alone? …Of all people, _he_ should know what I mean!_ Yet in spite of herself, Sakura left her room, and cautiously approached the door.

She tentatively reached out for the doorknob. _(Gulp) C'mon, Sakura! Don't do this again! The worst it could be is Sasuke! So just…open the door already!_ She then turned the knob and swung the door open.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I…!" Sakura's bold voice instantly trailed off. "_Lee_? W-what are you doing here?" At that moment, Sakura could have sworn that her cheeks matched the color of her hair. _Oh, my gosh! I'm such an idiot! _

Standing in the doorway, Lee just stared at her blankly, a fresh bouquet of red roses in his hand. "Uh…good morning?" he greeted timidly.

Sakura felt like burying herself in the ground again. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized quickly. "I, uh, thought you were someone else! But I guess I was wrong! Heh-heh." She topped it off with a sheepish smile.

Lee blinked a couple of times before smiling broadly. "Oh, I see! Well…" He handed the bouquet over to Sakura, another blush crossing his face. "These are for you! I hope you like them!"

_More roses?_ Sakura thought dully, yet instead, she forced a smile. "Why, thank you, Lee! I love them!" she lied, taking the bouquet from him, and then placing them on an end table right next to the door. "So, what brings you here?" Sakura was about to ask him how his training went with Guy, but knew better than that, especially knowing how Lee could go on and on about his idol.

Lee stared at the ground, and scuffed his feet into the concrete. "Remember how I told you I would make it up to you three days ago?"

"Um, yeah?" Sakura answered with a nod. _What's he getting into?_

"Well, I was thinking that for today, we just take a walk in the woods," Lee explained, "I know it is something different, but that way, I can listen to everything you wanted to tell me back then…without distractions!"

Sakura couldn't help but smile. "That's really nice of you, Lee," she told him, "Sure, that'd be great."

Lee blushed. "I knew you would like it," he said, glancing at the floor before averting his eyes to Sakura. He then extended his arm out to her. "Shall we?"

Sakura just stared at his arm. _Is this really necessary? …Ugh, I guess I'd better just do it…_ "Um…okay…" She slowly reached out for his hand and took it.

Once her hand was in his, Lee led her out of the doorway and down the hallway. As they walked side-by-side, Sakura was relieved that he hadn't suggested holding hands. _A nice walk in the woods… Sasuke would have liked that,_ Sakura thought wretchedly, but then shook her head. _No, I'm not going to think about Sasuke…not anymore! And that's a promise! This has gone on long enough, and it's about time I moved on for real! After all…_

She glanced over at Lee and smiled. _Today's a new day…a fresh start…

* * *

_

_As for Sasuke…_

Staring numbly at his ceiling, Sasuke continued to lie in bed, his fingers laced behind his head. His lips were pulled into a straight line, an impassive mask showing no emotion. But at that moment, his mind meandered as his thoughts reeled the events of training yesterday:

_Kakashi examined the large twin holes made on the front of a huge tan boulder. "Hmm…your aim's a little off today…and your chakra's unstable… Is something bothering you, Sasuke?"_

"…"

_Kakashi interpreted Sasuke's silence as his cue to continue: "…Is it that last mission? Look, I know cleaning shop isn't your style, but both Teuchi and Ayame raved about how well the three of you did."_

_Sasuke gripped his left wrist tightly with his right hand, the blinding blue chakra flashing in his open palm. "I'm fine!" he insisted obstinately through gritted teeth, panting from exhaustion. _

_Kakashi thought for a moment. "Oh, I see! You're just raring to fight Gaara in the final round of Chunin Exams, am I right?" _

_Sasuke didn't say anything, but Kakashi just smiled. "Well, don't worry about that, Sasuke. You'll get to fight him soon enough! By the time you finish perfecting this move, your training will be done." _

_Sasuke fixed his eyes on the ground. "Yeah…sure," he muttered. The once-pulsating chakra from his left hand faded, and he balled his hand into a tight fist. _

Back in his bed, Sasuke scowled in irritation. _Kakashi's right… I _have_ been a little off lately. My mind's all over the place, and I can't even concentrate on the Chunin Exams next week! _

Sasuke pulled the covers off himself, and got out of bed. _I can't get distracted. I've gotta maintain focus and pay attention to training. No matter what, I must defeat Gaara! _He clenched a fist, the fire of determination finally returning to his eyes.

* * *

_In the forest…_

Walking along the dirt path, Lee suddenly caught Sakura smiling. "Well, I am glad to see you are a lot happier today, Sakura." He beamed. "Seeing you happy always brings a smile to my face."

"You're a sweet guy, Lee," Sakura remarked.

Lee blushed. "You think so?"

"Well, yeah," she reassured him. "I've thought so ever since what happened back in the Forest of Death, and from what you've proven to me this past month…"

Lee stared at her blankly. "And that is…?"

"That you've always taken the time to listen to me, and you've always tried to ensure my happiness!" Sakura replied, grinning. "Really, Lee, I couldn't have asked for more!" And this time, she knew she was telling the truth.

Sakura glanced at Lee, and was surprised to see him actually crying. "S…Sakura!" He then abruptly embraced her in a hug. "Thank you! THANK YOU!"

Though taken aback by the sudden notion, Sakura felt no urge to break free from his hold. Instead, she just eyed him curiously. "But…what do you have to thank me for?"

"Everything!" Lee sobbed. "Y-you really are…an angel sent from Heaven!"

Sakura smiled meekly, recalling one of their earliest encounters. But as Lee continued to sob onto her shoulder, Sakura couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. …_Maybe I said more than I should have… _"Hey, um…Lee?"

"Oh…sorry…" Lee backed away, wiping his eyes with the backs of his sleeves as he tried to collect himself.

Sakura just waited for him patiently. "That's alright."

Lee drew in a deep, shaky breath. "Now…before I forget…" He looked straight at Sakura. "What is it you wanted to tell me the other day?

"Huh?" It took a moment for Sakura to process what he was talking about, but then it hit her as a flashback of their past conversation echoed in her head:

"_Well, it's just that I-I can't get over him. He's all I think about, and…I really don't know what to do…"_

"_If you cannot get someone out of your head, then maybe they are supposed to be there."  
_

Sakura remembered how she couldn't understand why he was saying that, but had then realized that Lee thought she was talking about him instead of Sasuke. _"Oh, no! You don't get it, Lee! I'm talking about—"_

Back then, Naruto's sudden appearance had interrupted Sakura, thus preventing her from completing her sentence. But at that time, she was actually _prepared_ to tell Lee the truth. Now…she just couldn't do it. Silently, she wished that Naruto would just pop up from behind one of the trees.

Sakura scoffed at her own thought. _As if that's ever gonna happen…_

She sighed, snapping back into reality. _…I just made his day… It'd kill him if I told him the deal with Sasuke… _Sakura then recalled her promise to forget about Sasuke, and stared hard at the ground.

_Well, either way…there's no point in telling Lee anymore. Sasuke's just a mere fragment of my memory now. Nothing more. _

Lee's voice suddenly pervaded her thoughts. "You _did_ want to tell me something, right, Sakura?"

Sakura turned to face Lee, as if just realizing he was there. After a moment, she forced a smile. "Never mind. I'm alright now."

Lee scowled. "You do not have to lie to me, Sakura," he told her gently.

Sakura winced. _Sometimes, Lee understands me _too_ well… No matter…_

"Actually, come to think about…you're right, Lee," she began, "Something _is_ bothering me…"

"Hmm?"

Sakura clutched her stomach. "I'm starving!" she confessed, "I didn't eat anything earlier! Do you think we can get something to eat?"

Lee's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, sure! Of course! But…where at?"

Sakura smiled to herself in amusement. _Good. It worked! _"Er, I don't know. How 'bout some barbeque? I'm feeling up for it today!"

Lee shrugged. "Okay, whatever you say." He turned around, and proceeded down the path back to the main district of the village. Sakura followed closely behind him.

"It will take awhile before we get back to the village," Lee stated regretfully. He glanced over his shoulder back at Sakura. "You should have said something earlier, Sakura. I would have gladly put off our conversation if you were that hungry."

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "No, it was just a sudden realization." _Well, that's true!_

It was then that Lee suddenly stopped walking in mid-step.

Sakura stared at him, her smile now having turned into a frown. "What?"

Lee remained silent, his body not moving an inch.

Sakura started to panic, "Lee? What is it…?" Her voice trailed off as a sudden shiver ran up her spine. She turned around quickly.

Only to see a sharp kunai knife heading straight for her.

**A/N:** This is probably my best cliffie yet XD! Sorry to end it so abruptly like that, but as I've always believed, cliffhangers always make readers want to read more! And FYI, the one who threw the kunai is _not_ Sasuke, in case that's what you guys were thinking!

Anyway, my hope is to post the next chapter before the month ends, but anything could happen, so I'm not making any promises! And as always, please R&R!


	12. The Battle Begins

**A/N: **Wow. I haven't updated since last year! I'm so sorry to leave the previous chapter hanging like that! To be honest, I've actually gotten done with this chapter a while back, but never had the time to post it. FYI, this'll be the first battle scene I've written for a Naruto fic. I'm not really good at it, but wish me luck! I'll try my best!

Oh yeah, I kind of changed a few things that'll affect the original storyline, but more on that later. I don't want to give anything away!

Chapter Twelve: The Battle Begins

"Sakura! Look out!"

Before she even knew what was happening, Sakura felt herself being thrust into the ground face-first, the kunai knife just barely missing her.

Sakura struggled to pull herself up to her knees and then turned around in search of Rock Lee. But the moment she caught sight of him, a gasp escaped her throat. She briskly crept over to him. "Lee! Your arm!"

The kunai had left a deep laceration in his right arm, and bright red blood now tarnished his green jumpsuit.

"It's okay, Sakura; I am alright," Lee winced, clutching his injured arm with his free hand. He then traced his eyes along the path the kunai had traveled, and froze.

Sakura couldn't help but follow his glance, but when she saw who the kunai had come from, her eyes dilated in surprise. There was no mistaking it. _No way! It's—

* * *

_

By now, it was high noon, and the glistening sun pried through the overhead tree canopy. The forest was unusually quiet today: no chirping birds, or even the slightest sound of a gentle stream. It was the ideal setting for Sasuke—one that was quiet, peaceful, serene…and most importantly, one that was without distractions.

Keeping his hands in his pants pockets, Sasuke trudged on toward his favorite training spot. Right now, the only thing on his mind was the upcoming Chunin Exams: _The finals are only three days away now. Time's running short, and I've already wasted so much of it. But this ends now! I've got to plan out the perfect strategy in order to defeat Gaara… _

_Kakashi warned me that he has the ability to manipulate sand and can form a shield out of it independent of his will. He can even create a sand armor as a last-ditch resort to protect himself from physical injuries… And from what Kakashi told me, even Lee's taijutsu was no match for Gaara… _A smirk formed on Sasuke's face. _…But I've got a special move up my sleeve that'll be my ace in the hole…_

_Clang!_ Something suddenly brushed against Sasuke's foot. He glanced down at it. But as soon as he realized what it was, his blood ran cold. He stared hard at it, a deep grimace crossing his face.

For staring right back at him was a single forehead protector lying idle on the forest floor.

One that came from the sound village.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"Surprised to see us? We are too, but at least now we'll finish from where we left off. And it looks like your little Sasuke isn't here to protect you."

The same taunting sneer, the same mocking tone, the same arrogant voice… Both Sakura and Lee knew all too well who they were up against…

It was the Sound Three all over again: Zaku, Dosu, and Kin.

"I only wish he was here, though…to pay for what he did to my arms!" Zaku continued, both his arms now wrapped up in white cloth sling.

Sakura could feel her blood boiling over. "What do you want with us?!" she demanded, reaching into her shuriken holster for a kunai knife. _I could never forget… These guys are from Sound, and what's worse…they're working for Orochimaru! But…Sasuke isn't here right now. What could they possibly want?!_

"Oh, nothing much. While we're here, we just want a rematch. That's all," Zaku answered.

Sakura glanced at Lee, and then glared at the Sound Three. "Why are you here?! The second phase of the Chunin Exams is over! Can't you just leave us alone?! The finals are in three days!"

Zaku gritted his teeth in anger, and was about to proceed until Dosu intercepted him. "Don't be too hasty, Zaku. We have to carry out our mission. This is no time to be picking fights—"

"_Our mission"?_ Sakura repeated skeptically.

"The mission can wait! Besides, I'm not gonna let that little girl off so easily—not like the last time! This time, I'll finish her for good! And if you so want, you can finish off that taijutsu kid!" Zaku proclaimed. He then shoved Dosu's hand aside and jumped down from the tree.

Dosu sighed. "Well, I suppose it can't be helped." Then he, too, (and Kin) jumped from the tree, landing squarely on the dirt floor.

Zaku grinned. "Now…where were we?"

Sakura flinched. _Oh, no. Not again! I… I don't think I can take these guys…_ Her kunai knife trembled in her hand.

Lee seemed to have noticed this. He held his arm out in front of Sakura.

Sakura blinked in surprise. "Lee?"

"Let me deal with this, Sakura," Lee insisted sternly.

"But…your arm…"

"You do not have to worry about me; I will be fine," Lee reassured her. "Remember what I told you the last time? I vow to protect you with my life!"

Sakura's eyes widened as the scene reeled in her mind: Lee's sudden appearance from out of nowhere in her defense, his unwavering pledge of coming to her aide anytime and anywhere that she was in trouble, and even his putting his life on the line to ensure her safety…even if it meant his downfall.

Back then, Sakura had only taken a stand for herself when there was no one left to protect her. _Well, I am _not_ gonna let that happen again! _Sakura told herself. _If there was anything I learned from that day, it was that I'm through with caving! This time, I'm gonna fight alongside Lee!_

"No, Lee…" Sakura finally blurted, her eyes concentrated on the ground.

Lee suddenly turned to face her, looking as shocked and horrified as if his beloved Guy-sensei had just told him to forget his Nindo. "What?!"

"As much as I appreciate it, your vow—thanks to me—almost cost you your life the last time," Sakura began. "On that day, you taught me that I don't always need protecting…" She glanced up from the floor, the resolve flashing in her eyes. "…So I'm not gonna sit back and let you risk your life for me again. This time, we'll fight together!"

She pulled herself to her feet, now gripping the kunai knife firmly in her hands. _I can do this,_ Sakura told herself,_ I know I can!_

Lee could only stare at her in awe. "Sakura…"

Zaku sneered. "So, the little girl finally decided to fight after all, huh? Too bad it'll be your last battle once I'm through with you!"

Sakura scowled, falling into a defensive stance. _That's a lot of tough talk for someone who can't even use his arms… What's he thinking?_

Apparently, Lee—now having broken free from his daze—was having the same thoughts: "I do not know what he is planning, Sakura, but it is still three against two," he observed. "Our best bet is to defeat this guy quickly, and then each take on the other two."

Sakura nodded. "Right."

Unfortunately, Lee hadn't considered all the factors…as a slight grin crossed Zaku's face. "I'm afraid it would be that easy for you brats that take _me_ out."

Sakura frowned. _What's he talking about? How can he still be smiling like that? Without his arms, he can't use can't create his sound waves… What's he thinking?_

It was then that Zaku suddenly ripped his arms free of the sling. He smirked. "Heh. Think you had me there? Guess again."

Both Sakura and Lee gasped. _What the—? I thought Sasuke had…_ Sakura trailed off in mid-thought, the sudden realization quickly sinking in. _I get it! His sling was just a ruse to get us to _think_ his arms were broken, when all along, they weren't! …I guess Sasuke had never broken his arms in the first place… But, either way, this guy being able to use his arms again will just make things more difficult!_

Zaku crossed his hands out in front of him. "Slicing Sound Wave!"

Before they could get pounded by the wall of air, Sakura and Lee quickly leapt out of the way.

Having gotten past Zaku's offense, Sakura snuck up behind him and hurled kunai at his back. It was then that Zaku suddenly turned around. "Stop messing around!" he barked.

Sakura formed a few hand-signs before Zaku's attack redirected her kunai back at her.

_Thunk! _A log appeared in Sakura's place, pierced by all of the kunai.

"_Again_ with the substitution jutsu?" Zaku mocked, "Who do you think you're kidding?" He reached into his waist pack to obtain a pair of his own kunai knives. "Heh. You must be joking if you think you can fool me with such a lame jutsu!"

Kunai in hand, Zaku spun on his heels. "Take this!"

"Leaf Hurricane!"

Before Zaku could release his kunai, he received a sharp blow in the jaw, sending him sprawling across the floor.

Lee landed squarely on his feet, and fell gracefully into his signature stance: his right arm outstretched with his open palm perpendicular to the ground and facing him, while his left arm remained behind him.

"If I were you, I would not be so quick to underestimate my opponents," Lee advised, with Sakura now close behind him.

Zaku pulled himself to his feet, wiping away a streak of fresh crimson blood that dripped from his mouth. "I almost forgot there were two of you," he remarked irritably through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, Dosu and Kin appeared in front of a surprised Zaku. "Enough with the games, Zaku," Dosu told him impatiently. "You can't take them on yourself. Don't forget what we're here for…"

"Yeah, yeah. The mission. I know," Zaku answered.

"Then let's just finish them off quickly…right here and now…" Dosu pulled up his right sleeve, revealing the sound device on his arm, while Kin laced her fingers with senbon needles.

"Heh. This'll be fun," she sneered.

Sakura scowled. _I was afraid it'd come to this. This changes everything! Now _they_ have the advantage! Lee and I will have to be careful if we even hope of winning!_

"Sakura…" Lee's voice interrupted Sakura's thoughts, and she glanced up at him, but only to see his turned back.

"Yeah?"

"This is it…" Lee told her, his voice so low that Sakura could barely recognize it as Lee's. "I'm sorry that today had to turn out like this…"

Sakura smiled meekly. "T-that's okay, Lee; you had no way of knowing…"

"But I promise you...we will see through this together!" Lee proclaimed fervently over his shoulder, flashing his nice guy pose. "So let's do our best!"

Sakura just stared at him for a moment before smiling again. "Yeah."

"Cut the small talk!" Dosu suddenly exclaimed. "I'm going in for the kill! This ends now!"

**A/N: **Ha-ha. Another cliffie! Aren't they great? Anyway, this time, I'll really try hard to post the next chapter soon! The battle is about to get intense!

As for the changes I've made to the storyline, you could probably tell by now what they are: Zaku lost both his arms in his match against Shino, and at this time, the Sound Three are already supposed to be dead (by Orochimaru and Gaara), but I decided to keep them around! I hope this doesn't bother anyone!

Please R&R!


	13. Words Unspoken

**A/N: **I'm so incredibly sorry I haven't updated for so long. I've been neglecting this chapter for the longest time because I've always struggled coming up with decent fight scenes. I hope this is up to everyone's standards, though. I never thought I'd get back to this, but after re-reading comments and this story itself, I decided that I just couldn't let it go unfinished. (Special thanks to Tiger Priestess, whose recent review inspired me to continue!) I tried to get as much as I could into this chapter to make up for not having updated for so long. Please review! Hearing you guys will really inspire me and keep me going!

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Words Unspoken 

As the Sound Three charged at Lee and Sakura, Lee considered his next move: _It is now three against two! I cannot let this drag out for long! My only choice is to use the Lotus! But the last time I tried it against the masked guy, his teammate manipulated sound waves to soften the ground…I would not want to waste an attack like that if it will only prove ineffective…_

Without wasting a moment, Lee quickly unwrapped the bandages on his arms. _Forgive me for using this move…Guy-sensei! But just like that last time, I am protecting the life of someone precious! _

Sakura noticed the attack right away. _Lee's using _that_ move? Based on the past times he's used it, it's only weakened him._ "Lee…" Sakura's voice was barely above a whisper, but before she knew it, Dosu hurled himself at Lee.

"I wouldn't bother attacking with such a reckless move like that! If you think I haven't learned anything from our last battle, you're terribly mistaken!" Dosu declared, throwing a devastating punch at Lee.

Only to wind up swinging at the air.

_Darn! I could have sworn my arm connected that time! But even so, he disappeared completely so my sound waves wouldn't be able to reach him… He's too fast! _Dosu glanced around frantically, expecting Lee to appear at any moment with a sharp blow to the jaw.

That is, until Dosu realized that Lee wasn't after him at all…as _Zaku_ went flying into the air instead.

Dosu's eyes widened. _He was after Zaku the entire time?! This is terrible! Zaku can't break his fall—and there's nothing I can do about it! _

While Dosu gritted his teeth in frustration, Lee suddenly appeared behind the now-airborne Zaku, who couldn't hide his surprise. "What the—? Where did you…?" _That little sneak! I'm wide open and unable to defend myself! There's nothing I can do now to avoid his next move!_

Not wasting any time, Lee wrapped his loose arm bandages around Zaku, and then propelled both of them downward in a violent screwdriver-like motion.

"PRIMARY LOTUS!"

A cloud of dust was kicked into the air, throwing flecks of dirt up at the site of impact. When the dust cleared, Zaku appeared unconscious on the ground.

"Zaku!" Kin exclaimed in terror.

"Oh, no! Zaku!" Dosu cried in equal horror. _That…that kid! He planned to attack Zaku all along, knowing that Kin and I wouldn't be able to do anything to save him! _He turned to face Lee, who had managed to escape the attack right before Zaku came in contact with the ground.

Yet before either Dosu or Kin could react, a dozen shuriken came flying their way. While Kin quickly dodged the attack, Dosu simply lifted his right arm to his neck, deflecting the shuriken in the process. Glaring at Sakura, he stated in a low voice, "I'm through playing games…little girl!"

Before he could initiate his attack, Kin stood in his way. "I can't let you have all the fun. Let me handle her, Dosu. You can finish off that taijutsu kid."

"Fine," Dosu replied. "But this time, I'll make sure to finish this. The mission can wait. They'll pay for what they did to Zaku." With that said, Dosu intercepted a kick from Lee while Kin tried drawing Sakura away with her senbon needles.

Sakura immediately recognized what she was doing. _She's trying to draw me farther away from Lee, knowing that Dosu has the advantage fighting him alone! I have to make this quick so I can help Lee! _She performed a series of hand seals and created two clone replicas of herself.

"You think you can beat me with basic techniques like that?" Kin sneered, stopping in mid-run once they were away from the forest clearing and now in a heavily-wooded area. She braced herself for the attack. "Don't get cocky! It'll be a cinch finding the real one among the fakes!"

Sakura narrowed her eyes in determination, focusing chakra to her feet to add an extra push to her step as she propelled herself towards Kin with a punch that she just narrowly managed to dodge. But when the second fist came around and made contact with her face, Kin went flying across the dirt floor.

"Tell me: what's this mission of yours about?" Sakura asked, standing next to her clone copies. "It's about Sasuke, isn't it? What do you want with him?"

Kin pulled herself up to her feet, wiping a smear of blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. "You ask too much questions, little girl," she remarked irritably. "We're just following Lord Orochimaru's orders."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. _I knew it had something to do with him! But what is it exactly that he wants with Sasuke? _She thought back to the time when they first encountered Orochimaru back in the Forest of Death. _"One day, you'll seek me for power" – that's what he said to Sasuke back then, so he probably never meant for the curse mark or even these guys to kill him that day…but then, what does he want?!_

_Poof!_ Two senbon needles suddenly pierced through the air and dissipated the clones right next to Sakura, breaking her away from her thoughts.

"I wouldn't worry about Sasuke if I were you," Kin interrupted, her fingers now laced with fresh senbon needles. "…Unless you wanna die, that is."

Sakura scowled, reaching for her shuriken holster and tossing a few at Kin, who countered with her own.

_Clang! _All five of them canceled the other out until _thunk!_ Sakura turned around and saw a pair of senbon needles embedded into the tree behind her, just grazing her shoulder. At first, she thought Kin had just missed her, but once she caught sight of the bells, she didn't hesitate; whipping out a kunai knife, she sliced through the thin, almost invisible strings that would allow Kin to ring the bells. She then threw a smoke bomb in front of her, taking the opportunity to sneak behind Kin and deliver her a fierce blow to the back.

Only to see a log in its place.

"What?"

Before she had the chance to react, Sakura felt two sharp needles pierce her in her arm, and she staggered back, almost falling on her back. The smoke began to clear and Sakura was greeted by Kin's cold laugh. Sakura could only glare at her. _But how did she know?!_

"Why look so shocked?" Kin teased. "It really shouldn't be too much of a surprise. You think I didn't come prepared, knowing that you already saw my genjutsu technique against your shadow friend back in the preliminaries? I knew you wouldn't fall for it so easily, so I planned ahead. And that smoke bomb you used? The perfect opportunity for me to form the hand signs needed for the substitution jutsu."

Sakura scowled in spite of herself. _So that's why she lured me here! It wasn't so much as to separate me from Lee, but to get me out of the clearing so she can use her jutsu better—_

_Ring! Ring!_

Sakura glanced behind her in horror. Somehow, Kin had managed to get two senbon needles without her noticing. Without thinking, Sakura threw her kunai in the path of needles, slicing through the strings. She averted her gaze back to Kin, but it was too late…

She was already seeing double.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Falling into a defensive stance, Rock Lee analyzed his opponent, who stood a few yards before him with his right arm raised, ready to attack. They had already been at it for ten minutes, but Lee could tell that – as much as he hated to admit it – he was already wearing down, especially after having expended so much chakra on the Primary Lotus, a risky move he had only resorted to because the odds were against them. If he hadn't used that move, it would have been 3-on-2 and their chances of winning would have been slim, but now that it was 2-on-2, at least they stood a better chance…even if it left a small handicap.

"I'm surprised you've been able to evade my attacks for so long, but what's the point if you're just prolonging your inevitable defeat?" Dosu challenged. "No matter how hard you try to hide it, I can see that attack you used on Zaku's taken a heavy toll on you. Your speed's slowing down…gradually, but persistently. Pretty soon you won't be able to avoid my sound amplifier anymore." He slowly made his way over to Lee, but Lee remained unfazed.

_He is right_, Lee thought. _The Primary Lotus _did_ take its toll on me. But I cannot risk opening another gate… My speed is slowing; I will have to end it, here and now, before he can land a blow on me. _Lee thought back to his previous encounter with Dosu in the Forest of Death._ I have seen his attacks before…if he can use that device of his even once on me, it will all be over. I will have to be careful… _

Lee lowered his stance and suddenly disappeared from view, reappearing in front of Dosu with a kick to the jaw…

But made contact with his arm instead.

"Hmm. Looks like you've waited too long," Dosu observed, forming a hand sign with his free left arm. "Your speed isn't what it used to be. I can practically see your movements."

Lee's eyes widened in alarm. _Oh, no! He is going to—!_ But before he could get away, Lee felt a sharp, searing pain in his ear. He fell to his knees, clutching his right ear in pain.

"Well, now isn't this a little familiar?" Dosu said, approaching Lee with his arm raised for the final strike. "But I'm afraid you're not going to escape this time. That, I promise you."

Lee looked up to him, but found his vision heavily distorted now that he lost his sense of balance. His whole body shook. Despite all the precautions he took, it happened anyway. Dosu still got to him. All because his speed failed him. _No, this cannot happen…not again… I promised myself. I promised Guy-sensei I would get stronger. I promised Sakura we would get through this together… I made a promise…_

_I am sorry, Guy-sensei, but I have to do this._

"What a pity, but you're going to die here, right here. Right now!" With that, Dosu struck the made the final blow.

But only struck the ground instead.

"What?! How did he—?"

"Leaf Hurricane!"

Dosu was interrupted with a sharp blow to the face, sending him sprawling across the clearing. He struggled to his feet, gritting his teeth in anger as Lee stood before him in his signature stance. "But how did you…? I thought I got to you! I could've sworn my sound waves reached you!"

"You are right about that," Lee reassured him. "Your attack did reach me. But what you do not know is that I managed to open the third gate, the Gate of Rest, just now, which was able to restore my speed and balance. And you are mistaken about another thing: _I_ will be the one putting an end to this."

Dosu let out a chuckle as he pulled himself to his feet. His face was now bruised, but he still managed a laugh. "What is so funny?" Lee demanded.

"So what if you've got a new power-up? Do you really think you can win?" Dosu asked.

Lee had no idea what he was getting at. _I have the upper hand now. How can he still be laughing? How is he still so confident? _"What are you saying?"

"The pink-haired kunoichi…" Dosu began. "She's still not back yet, and it's been a while now, hasn't it? Kin must have finished her off by now…"

Lee felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He had assumed that Sakura would have been able to handle the other kunoichi on her own, but Dosu was right; it has been a while, and Sakura was still not back yet. Lee could feel a sense of panic rising in his throat, and he had to force himself to maintain his composure. Surely, Dosu was just playing mind games with him. "No, Sakura will be alright," he replied sternly, more of an effort to reassure himself more than anything else. "I know it."

"Oh, really?"

As if on cue, Lee suddenly heard a piercing scream in the distance. _That sounded like…!_

Lee turned towards the direction of the voice, which carried his eyes to the forest, but he couldn't make out anything. Sakura was out of sight. Worry began to overtake him, overwhelming him, consuming his entire being. "Sakura…!"

His mind elsewhere, Lee had no chance to react as Dosu suddenly appeared behind him. "It's unbecoming of a shinobi to turn his back on his opponent."

Lee froze, his eyes widening in pure shock, a blend of horror and surprise.

But it was too late.

* * *

Caught in Kin's genjutsu, Sakura could feel a sense of fear overcoming her. Somehow, she'd managed to get caught after all.

"Give it up!" Kin jeered. "I've got you now! There's nothing you can do to escape my genjutsu. No cheap trick will save you this time!"

Kin threw more senbon needles in Sakura's direction, and this time, the genjutsu kept Sakura from effectively dodging any of them. All she could see were multiple Kin clones throwing senbon at her from all directions as she felt sharp needles pierce her arm. _I can't! I can't give up now!_ Sakura told herself, yanking the now-bloody needles from her body._ There's just no way I can lose! Lee's depending on me! I can do this, all by myself! I don't need anyone to protect me! This is just genjutsu, right? It's all an illusion._

"It's just an illusion," Sakura repeated to herself, with a new resolve flashing in her eyes. She was now panting from exhaustion, but refused to falter. She closed her eyes, forming the sign of the tiger and focusing her chakra.

"Telling yourself it's an illusion won't help you," Kin told her scornfully, but caught sight of the hand sign. _Sign of the tiger, huh? What is she up to?_ "…I don't know what you're trying to do, but I won't let you!"

She threw more senbon needles in Sakura's direction. The needles were mere inches from Sakura's face before she opened her eyes and shouted, "Release!"

The genjutsu hallucination disappeared immediately, and instead of seeing multiple Kin clones throwing senbon needles at her in all directions, Sakura was clearly able to see and pinpoint the set of needles coming straight at her, effectively dodging them at the last second.

"What?! How did you—?"

Without wasting any time, Sakura reached for her waist pack and hurled a kunai at Kin, who was able to dodge the knife as it struck a tree instead.

"Nice try, little girl, but you're gonna have to do better than that!" Kin exclaimed fiercely.

Sakura could only smirk, and as Kin glanced behind her at the kunai knife, she was greeted by an explosion that sent her back with such a force that she collided into a tree, falling face-first into the dirt. She struggled to get up, but didn't have any strength left. "H-How? How did you break free from my genjutsu? Only higher-level shinobi with good chakra control are able to perform Release!" she choked, straining to lift her head enough to face Sakura, who now stood before her bruised and bleeding, but still able to wear a triumphant smile.

"You…underestimated me," Sakura replied through pants. "I'm not the same kunoichi you met in the Forest of Death back in the second stage of the Chunin Exams…I don't need someone else to protect me anymore."

Kin kept her gaze on her, glaring the whole time through gritted teeth until she was now longer able to maintain consciousness. Her head fell to the ground with a gentle _thud_, her strained muscles no longer able to support her.

Staring for a moment at her fallen enemy, Sakura finally allowed herself to fall to her knees once she was sure Kin was unconscious.

"I did it," she whispered to herself, smiling a little. "I did it! I DID IT! All by myself, I did it!" She was practically now shouting at the top of her lungs and if she wasn't as physically exhausted as she was, she could have sworn she would've been jumping with joy at the moment. For once, she had been able to single-handedly defeat her own opponent without help from anyone: from Naruto, from Sasuke, from Lee…no one. She had fought her own battle. And won. It was the most amazing feeling in the world.

But ironically, the best feelings aren't meant to last forever.

"You did what?"

Sakura froze. That cool, cold, _menacing_ voice that came from behind her. The looming figure casting its shadow before her.

"I'm surprised you were able to defeat Kin. Perhaps I underestimated you…but it appears you've expended all your energy…"

Dosu. _Does that mean Lee was unable to…?_ Sakura could feel an all-to-familiar sense of fear overwhelm her, and she turned around just then to see his raised fist, poised to strike her with a devastating finishing blow. She could only look on in horror. She knew she couldn't do anything to stop him – not in her current state. Sakura closed her eyes, waiting for the impact.

Waiting…

Waiting…

But nothing came.

_Am I dead? …No, I didn't feel anything. So am I alive then? _She mustered up her courage and forced her eyes open. Slowly. And what she saw – _who_ she saw – took her breath away. A gasp escaped her throat. Is this true, what she saw? How could it be?

How was it possible that Sasuke was standing right in front of her, blocking Dosu's attack with one arm?

How was it possible that _Sasuke_ was there before her, protecting her from harm?

_I must be dead_, Sakura thought breathlessly. _This is all a dream. It has to be. This is nothing more than a dream…_

But no, it wasn't a dream. It couldn't be. It was true – this really was Sasuke standing in front of her. Sure, the stance was different, the clothes were different, but it was still him – Sakura could've sworn it was still him. Sasuke. The one who shunned her, despised her only three days ago. The one who took her for granted, dismissed her completely, and grew annoyed at her mere presence. The one who drove her crazy, got on her nerves – the one she hated with every fiber of her being…

The one she loved with all her heart.

"Sasuke…you…" Sakura began quietly. "Why did you…?" She had to know, and yet she couldn't even get the words out of her mouth.

Sakura knew he heard her, with the way he hesitated like that. Even though he didn't say anything.

Her eyelids started to go heavy and her body grew weak, but she ignored it. The battle with Kin had apparently taken more out of her than she'd thought. "There's…so much I want to say to you…" she whispered faintly.

"Sasuke…"

She saw a flash of blue light, heard the call of a thousand birds.

And fell asleep to the warm darkness that greeted her.

* * *

**A/N: **So how was that? Dang, that took me like 5 hours to write – all in one go!This was the longest and most difficult chapter for me to write; I hope you're all satisfied with it. I'll admit the fight scene might've left some characters a little OOC, but I tried my best to make it reasonable and fair (and Sakura and Kin both have limited abilities!). The last part of this chapter, though, was my favorite. I hope you loved it as much as I did. Comments will be greatly appreciated!

Btw, in case you haven't guessed, the next chapter will be the final chapter in this 14-chapter installment. Now that I've got the fight scene out of the way, it shouldn't take me as long to update! I already know what I'm going to write, so it should be up soon. Be prepared for the final SasuSaku confrontation!


	14. No More Running

**A/N: **Yeah, I've had these scenes planned out a while ago and wrote some of the last part…maybe two years ago? Well, I wasn't satisfied with it then, but I'm sure it's up to snuff now. I've worked really hard on it, so let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer: **There's a short flashback scene that involves lines taken from the English dub. Not sure what episode. Something from the beginning of the Chunin Exam prelims. Anyway, credit goes to Kishimoto and the anime staff!

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: No More Running

Sakura gazed idly out the windowsill, the curtains parted to a reveal the setting sun just barely dipping below the four stone faces of the previous Hokages. The last remaining rays shone through the window, casting its reflection on the clear vase that held a single yellow daffodil, next to a sleeping Rock Lee's bedside.

It was dusk now, and several hours had passed since their encounter with the three Sound ninja. Sakura couldn't believe all that happened in one morning – it'd felt like a lifetime ago, and yet she still remembered the day's events so vividly in her mind. She could still remember Lee's sincere offer to take her on a walk in the forest, the sudden interruption of the Sound Three, the sheer taste of victory after defeating Kin single-handedly, the sense of fear and terror as Dosu raised his arm for the final attack…

The feeling of awe and breathlessness as she saw Sasuke standing before her, shielding her from harm.

_Maybe it was just a dream,_ Sakura considered. _It all feels so distant now, and I was really out of it then. I remember blacking out and then waking up here a moment later…_ She allowed her eyes to wander around the room. _In this hospital… but how did I get here?_

The image of Sasuke standing in front of her, back turned, flashed through her mind again and she gasped.

_It was Sasuke._

Suddenly, she heard a soft groan close-by and shifted her gaze to see Lee stirring in bed. Sakura couldn't help but feel a small smile tug at her lips. She went over by his bedside and pulled up a short stool. Lee strained to open his eyes, but once he caught sight of her, he immediately sat up in bed.

"Sakura – ow!" He winced and clutched his arm, grimacing in pain.

She automatically reached out for him. "Careful, Lee, your injuries still haven't healed yet," she told him gently.

Lee looked at her then, examining her briefly for injuries. His eyes held nothing but concern. "Sakura, are you…?"

She cut him off before he could continue. "Don't worry about me, Lee; I'm fine," she reassured him with a smile. Sure, she had a few cuts and bruises here and there, but nothing was serious and she was able to make a quick recovery. "I'm glad to see you're awake, though."

Lee tore his eyes from her, but not before Sakura caught a fleeting glimpse of pain. He took to his surroundings before settling on the thin cotton sheets in front of him. "H-How long was I out?" he hesitated.

Sakura thought about it before answering: "A couple hours, I guess… I was out for a while myself before I came to check up on you."

Lee paused for the longest time, staring hard at the sheets before him. Sakura observed how tightly he clutched at the pale cloth. "I am…so sorry, Sakura," he said at last, his every word drawn out slowly and painfully. "I could not keep my promise. I am not worthy…I failed to protect you…again."

Sakura could only watch him silently, her former smile now pulling into a small frown. She hated to see Lee like this, so guilty and broken. She knew she had to say something. "It's not your fault, Lee," she put in carefully. "I never asked you to protect me. I never expected any of that from you."

"S-Sakura!" She could now see the tears welling up in Lee's eyes and he wiped them away with the back of his sleeve furiously. "N-Next time, I promise to get even stronger!" he declared between sobs.

Sakura smiled at him then. His determination, his passion, his commitment – she found it all so admirable, the way he was always pledging not only to her, but to himself to always get stronger…for her sake. The way he listened to her with out fail, sacrificed his precious time for her, stood by her side when she felt the weight of the world was crashing down on her…she felt so indebted, so grateful, so devoted to him. Without a doubt in her heart, Sakura knew that she truly loved him for everything he did for her.

But she also knew that no matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise, the love she felt for him wasn't the same kind of love she wanted it to be. It wasn't a romantic love.

It wasn't the love she felt for Sasuke.

Sakura bowed her head a little. To think it had taken her almost a full month to finally admit it to herself. What an idiot she was. She tightened her grip on her dress, unsure of where to begin.

"Lee…?"

"Y-Yes?" She could tell, without even looking, that he was still holding back sobs.

"You've been…so good to me," she began uncertainly, unable to meet his eyes, "You know that, right, Lee? There's no way I could ever repay you for what you've done for me…"

Lee couldn't hide the confusion in his voice. "Sakura…?"

"This past month, you were the only one who cared to listen to me – the only one who knew exactly what was bothering me. You always made sure I was happy, and I will forever be grateful for what you did for me. Even back in the Forest of Death, you came to my aid. We weren't even teammates – we barely knew each other – and yet you put your life on the line for me." Sakura smiled to herself, recalling her past thoughts. She then glanced up at Lee. "You've been such a big part of life, and that's something I just can't deny. And despite all the obstacles we've come across, we were always able to pull through – I have no regrets of anything of it. To tell the truth, I wouldn't be the person I am today if it weren't for you, Lee!"

He only stared at her, unable to say anything. Sakura tore her eyes away from him then and let out a sigh. Honestly, she didn't know how to tell him – not without hurting his feelings, at least. But she also knew that, if anything, she _had_ to tell him. She hated herself for lying to him, after all this time, and she knew that…if she were to keep lying to him, it would just wind up hurting both of them. Sakura drew in a deep, shaking breath.

"But do you remember what I tried to tell you three days ago?" she began. "I never got to answer you…and that's because I didn't want to say it. All this time, I tried to keep you from the truth, Lee, because I didn't want to hurt you…but now…I realize it'd only hurt more if I never told you…" She averted her eyes to Lee. "I finally understand that if I were to continue on like this, I'd just be living a lie."

"So, what are you saying, Sakura?" Lee asked curiously. He said it like a normal question, but Sakura knew he was hesitant, as if he already knew the answer but just had to hear a confirmation.

"That same day…you told me, 'if you cannot get someone out of your head, then maybe they are supposed to be there.' Remember?"

Lee nodded, prompting her to continue.

"Well, to be honest, I never truly understood what that meant…until now. Because now I know…now I know that, all along, I was just running away from this inescapable truth." Sakura kept her eyes concentrated on the tiled floor. "And that no matter how fast – or even how far – I tried to run, it always found a way to catch up to me, like trying to outrun your own shadow… And now I know that no matter how hard I tried to escape from the truth, I never could, because deep down, I think I've always known that I couldn't…I couldn't forget about Sasuke…"

It was a strange feeling, confessing about Sasuke just then. But unlike all those times she spoke of Sasuke with pain, regret, and even anger, this time she felt oddly content, and she almost felt the urge to ridicule herself for being so inconsiderate saying all that in front of Lee; she knew he wouldn't take it lightly. But instead, she found herself smiling, however selfishly. For the first time that month, she felt no shame or guilt. For the first time that month, Sasuke was no longer a source of regret or pain for her, but of genuine, sincere feelings that she could no longer ignore.

"I…think I always knew, Sakura…" Lee's voice interrupted her from her thoughts, and she finally allowed her eyes to settle on him. It had taken him just as long to reply as it had taken her to gather her thoughts, and at that moment, Sakura knew how difficult it was for him to speak.

She saw a smile cross his lips, but knew that it was more a forced smile of hidden pain than anything else, something she was rather used to by now. Still, she couldn't help but feel a knot of guilt twisting in the pit of her stomach as her muscles tensed. _To think that I put him through all this…_

"I think I always knew that you still loved Sasuke," Lee continued. "I could see it. You never seemed genuinely happy with me like you are with Sasuke. Even when we went out together, you were always…distant, like you wanted to be somewhere else—"

"Lee, I—!"

He just shook his head, still keeping his eyes focused on the sheets. "Please do not apologize, Sakura," he said. "It is alright. I know you tried to hide it, tried to deny it, but no matter how hard you tried…you just could not escape it."

Sakura couldn't help but stare at him. He spoke with such understanding. In the short time he had known her, how could he have understood so much?

"I think that…maybe that is what I was trying to do to – living in denial," Lee spoke, his voice low and soft. "Denying your love for Sasuke, even though I saw it so clearly. Maybe I thought that, if I could somehow ignore it, it would not be there, and that somehow, you would return my feelings. " He smiled again, the same wry, painful smile. "Yeah, that must be it…but it was a lie. I understand now. I know what you are feeling, Sakura. And I should be the one who is sorry. I told you to be honest with me, but this whole time, it was me living in denial. I am sorry."

Lee looked up with her then, his eyes finally meeting hers. "But I appreciate your being honest with me, Sakura," he said.

Sakura stared back at him. His voice held no bitterness, no spite or hatred. Remorse, yes. But also acceptance. She knew that – not just in what he said, but in the way he looked at her now – that he not only understood her, but accepted her feelings for Sasuke as well. She felt an incredible wave of gratitude sweep over her, and without her even realizing it, she found herself flinging her arms around Lee's neck. She felt him stiffen in shock before he gently returned the embrace.

"You don't have to say you're sorry, Lee," she told him. "There's no way I could ever thank you enough for everything you've done for me. You're such an amazing friend."

When they parted, Sakura could see the tears of joy streaming down Lee's face. "S-Sakura…!" he cried.

She smiled at him then before standing up. "Well, I guess I should get going—"

"LEE!" Before she could even finish her sentence, she heard the door burst open as a tall figure bolted into the room, nearly bowling Sakura over in the process.

Lee's eyes widened in pure joy. "Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Guy-sensei!"

Sakura could only watch awkwardly as the student-teacher pair exchanged a rather overdramatic tearful embrace.

"I tried to get here as fast as I could, Lee!" Guy said between sobs. "As soon as I heard what happened – I came right after the mission!"

"It is alright, Guy-sensei!" Lee apologized with equal sobs. "I-I should have been more careful!"

Sakura watched the tearful exchange for a second longer before heading for the door. She gave one last, parting smile. Something told her that as long as Lee had Guy, he'd make it.

He'd be alright.

* * *

By the time she'd left the hospital, the last stream of sunlight had descended below the horizon. Sakura looked off to a large open-dome structure in the distance, the site for the final stage of the Chunin Exams. To think that it'll only be three days away…

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted, however, by a loud, obnoxious voice calling her name from afar.

Sakura turned to face the direction of the voice. No surprise there. It was Naruto. But she didn't scowl this time in annoyance. Instead, a small smile made its way across her face.

"Sakura! Sakura!" Naruto shouted, finally catching up to her. He rested his hands on his knees, panting in exhaustion, but still managing to choke out, "Sakura, are you alright? I heard what happened earlier! Are you okay? Are you okay?!" He was now practically screaming in her face.

Sakura waved her arms out in front of her, backing up a little. "I'm alright, Naruto," she reassured him awkwardly. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine." She thought about yelling back at him, but didn't feel like it at the moment.

"Where's Bushy Brow?" Naruto demanded, glancing over Sakura's shoulder, obviously unable to keep still. "Wasn't he there to protect you? Just what the heck was he doing, anyway? Some boyfriend he's turned out to be! If I hadn't been training with Pervy Sage all day, I would've been there to protect you – like I real boyfriend should!"

Sakura couldn't help but feel the urge to jump to Lee's defense. "For your information, Naruto, Lee _was_ there! He didn't ditch me, if that's what you think. But we were both busy fighting our own battles at the moment; he couldn't exactly help me out the whole time. And I'm perfectly fine protecting myself, thank you very much!" She found herself speaking with greater strength than she realized she had. "And Lee's still in his hospital room recovery from his injuries, if that answers you question," she added as an afterthought, careful not to mention the fact that she and Lee were no longer dating.

"Okay…" Naruto began hesitantly. Sakura noticed he'd taken a step back from her, much to her amusement. But only for a split second. Pretty soon, he was back all up in her face again. "Hey, if you're feeling alright and if Lee's busy at the moment…wanna get some ramen with me?" He glanced up at her hopefully, grinning broadly.

Sakura smiled, but shook her head. "Nah, you go ahead, Naruto," she declined. "It's been a long day for me. I'm just gonna be heading home now."

Naruto scowled. "Want me to walk you back?" he offered.

"No, that's alright," she replied. "I think I'll be fine."

Naruto stared at her for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, his fingers now laced casually behind his head. "Okay, if that's what you want," he said. "But I'll tell you now; you'll be missing out on some really good ramen, Sakura!"

Sakura just waved her hand. "Go ahead," she insisted.

That was all it took to encourage Naruto; he was out of there without another moment's worth of hesitation.

Sakura felt a smile tug at her lips. _Typical Naruto…_

Now that Naruto was gone, the walk home was calm and quiet. Shops in the village closed at sundown, so the streets were really peaceful and uncrowded. Sakura had only seen five other people at the most. Small paper lanterns lined the streets, casting its dim light among the small buildings.

Pretty soon, Sakura's feet met with cobblestone as the Academy campus ground came into view, the familiar stone bench standing before her. Sakura stared at it, a wry smile crossing her face. _Why is it that I always wind up here…of all places_?

She looked up to deep blue sky, its surface dotted with bright stars. But what stood out to her the most was the pale moon, proudly showing its face amidst the surrounding clouds. _It's a full moon tonight,_ Sakura observed.

A cool breeze started to pick up and the surrounding leaves began to swirl in a gentle circular motion. But it didn't feel cold; Sakura felt no urge to hug herself in an attempt to keep warm. Strangely, the breeze itself was warm, almost reassuring…

"Sakura…"

She could feel her breath get caught in her throat, her heart pounding in her chest. Her whole body shook. _That voice – it's…!_

"Sasuke…" she breathed, finally allowing herself to turn around to face him.

But he wasn't standing there facing her. His back was turned with his hands in his pockets. As usual. But that wasn't the least of Sakura's concerns.

"What are you doing here? At this time of night?" he asked, his tone cool and even. He still refused to turn and face her.

Sakura disregarded his question and instead asked one of her own: "You still haven't answered me yet, Sasuke…why did you come back?"

"Don't get the wrong idea," Sasuke interrupted, a now-irritated edge present in his voice. "It was all Naruto's idea."

She had to force herself to stifle a scoff that time. "Yeah, Naruto, I'm sure," she repeated almost dubiously. There were a million reasons in her head that said otherwise. Her previous encounter with said person already proved that he had no knowledge of the incident. That aside, she also knew Naruto well enough to know that he'd even refuse a year's supply of ramen before he'd ever let Sasuke do something he was more than capable of doing himself.

"We all know him better than that," Sakura settled after a moment.

A brief moment of silence passed over the two before Sasuke finally asked: "So, how's Lee doing?"

The sudden question caught Sakura off-guard, but she knew; Sasuke didn't really care. Lee had never been an object of concern for him…not that much was, anyway. The question was just merely an effort to break the silence, or maybe even to change the subject and dodge the question. Truth was, he _couldn't_ answer her. Usually things like this would have made Sakura smile in amusement, but not today – not now. Still, she found herself answering him in spite of herself.

"Lee's fine," she replied at last. "He's still recovering in the hospital, but he'll be alright. His injuries aren't serious."

Sakura paused, waiting for a response, but not getting one in return. Typical. But that didn't bother her so much as his refusal to answer her question, the one unanswered question that haunted her mind since that morning – the one question she couldn't get out of her head. At that moment, she didn't care what it took; she just had to know.

"But tell me, Sasuke," she insisted. Almost pleaded. "Why did you come back? After all those things you said to me…why? Why would you come back to save me?" She could feel her breath get caught in her throat again. "Why are you here right now?"

It was one of the simplest words, and yet it left the most unanswered.

Sakura glanced up at Sasuke expectantly then, but only received silence. His back was still turned to her, forming an impassive barrier between them. She tore her gaze away from him and focused instead on the square cobblestone tile on the ground, unable to look at him so long as he wasn't going to face her. "Why? Why is it always silence with you, Sasuke? Silence and walls?" she heard herself whisper. "Why do you have to keep shutting me out of your life?"

She thought back to the time of the Chunin Exam preliminaries: her worrying over his curse mark, begging him to forfeit his match.

"_Am I supposed to just stand by and watch you tear yourself apart? I can't bear to watch it."_

"_Then don't watch, but stay out of it!" _

And then just a few weeks ago, outside Sasuke's apartment.

"_Listen, Sasuke, it's not like you to be late. And…well, I just thought that something bad might have happened, so I went to check on you…"_

"_You don't have to check on me. I can take care of myself… Quit overreacting."_

And then those three words that she could never get out of her head.

"_Leave me alone."_

"Am I…really so much of an annoying pest that you really don't want me around?"

A fresh tear rolled off her cheek and hit the ground. Sakura could only stare at it spitefully. "I-I told myself I wouldn't cry anymore," she muttered, "…That I was through spilling tears for your sake. But who am I kidding? That's all I've been doing." More tears began to well up in her eyes, but she did nothing to stop them – she could only taste the bitter salt against her tongue. "I told myself that I was over you, Sasuke, and for a while, I thought it was true – 'thought I'd moved on with my life, thanks to Rock Lee…

"But I was wrong…" Sakura continued, her voice cracking. "No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bear it! I couldn't forget about you, Sasuke! I never could!" She hugged herself tightly. "And whenever I tried to block you out of my mind, you always came back! And I didn't know what to do! It hurt to think about it…to think about what you said to me…" Her voice gave out on her again and she could feel her shoulders trembling. _I-I can't stop it anymore. What's the point in trying?_

It was at that moment that Sasuke felt himself stiffen. He knew it; he knew where this was going, but at the same time, he knew better. He knew such emotions were unbecoming of a shinobi – unbecoming of an Uchiha. _I can't…I just can't,_ Sasuke told himself, tightening his hands into fists.

"Sakura, don't…" he pressed.

She suddenly felt a rush of anger pulsing through her blood, overtaking her. Tears of fiery burned her eyes as she finally tore her eyes from the floor and glared at Sasuke. "You always push me aside, Sasuke! Why can't you understand that there are actually people who care about you?!"

"_Overreacting? How can you call caring overreacting? Am I committing a crime because I care about you?"_

"That there are actually people out there who worry about you!"

"_Sasuke, I can't bear to watch you suffer! Ever since what happened in the Forest of Death with Orochimaru—"_

Her voice fell to a whisper, "That there is actually someone…who loves you…"

The words left her mouth before she could stop it, but she didn't wish she could swallow up her words and just take it back. She knew that she meant it. Every single word. She knew it all along.

The sudden confession caught Sasuke by surprise. _You're annoying,_ his mind told him. _Just say it! _

_**But…I can't! **_

_Why not? You've said it before, you can say it again!_

_**It's different this time…**_

_How's it different? It's still the same-old fangirl confessing her love for you! It's obvious she's liked you since Day 1! Again, how's this any different?!_

_**Because…**_**she's**_** different…**_

The sudden realization dawned on him. This wasn't the same girl who once praised his every move, someone who saw him as some invincible being like every other girl his age did. No, she wasn't like that anymore. She saw him at his weakest point in the Forest of Death. She realized his flaws – his fears – and accepted them, pushing him to be stronger. She stood by him and gave him support when he needed it most. Not once did she ever leave his side. In the year they had spent together, Sasuke had come to realize that she was someone precious to him, someone he could trust and rely on – not some annoying fangirl.

It was true what she said back then: how she went to check up on him when he didn't show up at the bridge for their assignment. She really was worried about him – she really did care about his well-being, and yet all he could do was shun her, berate her…

Reject her with a door in her face.

Even now, the very notion still haunted Sasuke with an ever-present guilt. He knew what he did was wrong, but he'd never admit it to himself. He was the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan, for crying out loud. He was born into a family of the utmost honor and prestige. He swore to himself that he'd only live to fulfill his ambitions – to kill his brother Itachi and restore his clan. That was all. But at what cost had this all come at?

He knew he couldn't give in to his feelings. He knew that he couldn't possibly…

Sakura could only stare at his cold, turned back, her heart sinking with every passing second. He hadn't moved an inch. He hadn't even turned back to face her – not once. Why was it always like this? She hung her head down in despair, shutting her eyes tightly so the tears could flow. _What did I expect from him? That he'd actually turn around and face me? That he might somehow return my feelings? What was I thinking? I'm such an idiot… I never had a chance…_

She couldn't bear it any longer. Before she knew it, Sakura found herself turning on her heels, running. Just running. Not sure where she was going or how far she'd run – just as long as it was anywhere but here. Away from Sasuke. Away from the one person she loved so much and yet the one person who always knew how to break her heart in pieces. She knew that she had to escape, to get away from him – to break herself free of this painful, unwavering devotion.

What a cliché it was, but here she was now: running away from love.

And what did Sasuke do? As soon as he heard the sound of fleeting footsteps, he finally tore himself from his thoughts and turned around. He could only watch her departing figure, running away from him. Again.

_Trying to catch her before she left, Sasuke quickly opened the door and stepped out onto the pavement. However, Sakura—as if sensing his presence—suddenly quickened her pace to a run. And though Sasuke was sure he could have caught up to her, he decided not to. Instead, he just watched her go._

_--_

_She stood up to leave, but before she did, she gave one final, hard glare in Sasuke's direction. "You disappoint me sometimes…Sasuke Uchiha…" __And with that said, Sakura walked out of the Ichiraku, leaving Sasuke behind. _

_Sasuke waited a moment before turning off the running water, and then turned around to see Sakura's retreating back, walking out on him…again._

_--_

_Sakura turned around to face him, and shot him a death glare. "Save it, Sasuke! I already told you, I don't want to hear it! Is that so hard to understand?!" She felt a crack in her voice, and then instantly turned away. "Just forget it, okay?!" She hurried up the stairs without another word._

"_Sakura! Just let me talk to you!" Sasuke started to chase after her, but stopped as soon as he reached the stairs. Pretty soon, all he could hear were her fleeting footsteps, each of them growing fainter as she grew further away. "Sakura…"_

He knew what he had to do. Without thinking, he did the only thing that came to his mind…

He ran.

_Why do I always try?_ Sakura asked herself, tears streaming behind as she continued running to who-knows-where, her lungs starting to burn. _All I do is keep hurting myself. And for what? For nothing! Nothing at all! Why…?_

Her thoughts were cut off as a strong hand suddenly grabbed her arm, stopping her in mid-run. Sakura froze, her breath caught in her throat. She willed herself at that moment not to turn around, not to turn and face the guy who would just shun her again. She didn't need that. She had to get away.

But turn around is the one thing she did do. "Sasuke?" she breathed.

Sasuke caught one glimpse of her tear-stained face and felt another pang of guilt. This was the first time he'd seen her face-to-face in a long time, and he couldn't believe how much of a jerk he was, to make her hurt so much. He couldn't bear the sight of it, and instead looked away. "Don't go, Sakura…please."

Sakura didn't know what to say, let alone what to think. She wasn't even sure if she could speak. All she knew was the sense of hurt in his voice, clearly written all over his face.

"If you run away from me again…I don't know what I'd do," he whispered. He had to force the words out of his mouth, but he didn't care. Some things were more important than pride. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her for the fourth time. He didn't even want to think about it.

Sakura didn't know what to do anymore, so she let instinct take over, throwing her arms around his neck and burying herself into the crook of his neck, crying into his indigo shirt.

The sudden action caught Sasuke off guard and he stiffened a little, but instead of backing away from her, he wrapped his arms around her trembling form in a protective gesture, as if letting go would mean that she'd slip away from him again. A nightmare he was not about to relive.

He rested his head on her shoulder. "Don't worry…I'm not going anywhere."

And he knew this time, that that was a promise. Almost three weeks ago, he had been a fool, making that one mistake of his life that he had regretted all this time. There was no way he'd let that happen again. Never.

And after all this time spent running way – running away from the past, running away from her feelings, running away from Sasuke…Sakura knew that no matter how hard she ran, the truth would always catch up to her, but this time, she didn't mind. She always knew, somewhere deep down, that her heart had always belonged to Sasuke. She'd always loved him, and although it had been met with both pain and doubt, it was never an insincere feeling. And to think that she'd only realized that today.

"_I love you, Sakura…"_

It was barely a whisper, but Sakura heard it. For a moment, she had thought it was just the wind playing tricks on her, but no, it wasn't. It was really Sasuke. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and for the first time since Sasuke was involved, she found herself smiling. She loved him. Truly, she did.

And this time, there were no regrets.

* * *

**A/N: ***Ahem* Well, that turned out a little sappier than I thought. I apologize for Sasuke being a little OOC, but I tried my best. 'Wasn't sure if I wanted to include such a confession from him, but I felt that it seemed to have better completed the story. Note: btw, in case you were confused, the part with Sasuke's thoughts (in italics) and the **bold **parts reflect his own thoughts, while the non-bolded parts reflect his conscience, if that makes sense!

But anyway, overall, I'm really happy with the turn-out! This chapter even proved to be longer than the last! I originally planned to have the Lee and Sakura scene as a separate chapter since it was longer than I expected, but since I told you guys that there'd only be one chapter left, I kept it all together.

Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who read this little fic and took the time to review! I know this story's been on hiatus for the longest time ever, but I sincerely thank you guys for not giving up on this fic and for giving me the motivation to continue. This is actually one of the few stories I have ever completed (yeah, seven years of writing and I can barely finish a story), so I'm really happy with it. It's been so much fun to write, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. =D

~Craftygirl


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